Nobody's But Mine
by sayah1112
Summary: Nobody knows how to keep a grudge like Lord Sesshoumaru, and Kouga is about to discover this first hand. But what happens when the Lord of the Western lands unearths the wolf Prince's darkest secret? R&R.
1. Chapter 1

It's been a while, and I'm rusty. So forgive me. But for some reason I could not get this particular pairing out of my head. We'll see how it goes, no?

CHAPTER ONE:

"You bastard!" Kouga growled, blood trailing thickly past his cracked lips to curve down toward his chin. His entire body ached and burned. He felt broken, agonized, and bruised. How he could even draw air into his lungs, past his cracked and bruised ribs,and out of his battered mouth and throat was a wonder. Feebly, he tried to bring himself to his knees. But fever was now racing through his system from the deathly toxins in Sesshoumaru's claws and his strength soon gave out on him, sending him once again face down in the dirt. Everywhere he burned as that poison plugged steadily through his blood stream, frying his nerves until they were all raw and screaming.

Pain like this, Kouga was certain, he had never known before. Such pain. And over what? As he looked up into Sesshoumaru's blood red eyes, he let out an involuntary shudder. Somehow, in someway, Kouga had managed to offend Lord Sesshoumaru. Which, on most days, wasn't such a terrible thing. Sure it was dangerous. Sure, you definitely didn't want to fuck with the taiyoukai. But this anger, this festering rage! Sesshoumaru had flown at him from out of nowhere, fangs bared and poisoned claws at the ready. He had given Kouga no reason for the why of his attack, and Kouga hadn't had the time to ask. Without the shards in his legs, the wolf prince was no where near as fast as he had once been. Sesshoumaru however... well that was a different story entirely. Nearly three hundred years older than himself, Lord Sesshoumaru had more skill and more experience in battle than Kouga. He was stronger, faster, older, and much more vicious.

It hadn't taken him long to reduce the poor wolf prince down to the sorry state he was in now. Lying prone on the forest floor. Scratched, bruised, and bleeding out from various wounds inflicted by the tai-youkai. It was pathetic really, if Kouga were to be honest with himself. He was the prince of the wolves, their leader and their alpha. And yet... in a matter of minutes Sesshoumaru had all but spanked his ass before throwing him down into the dirt at his feet.

"What have you to say for yourself, wolf-prince?" Sesshoumaru's voice, despite his blood red eyes and the quick pulsing vein in his neck that denoted anger more than anything else, was deathly calm and reasonable. Most people, when confronted with such a tone from such a demon as Lord Sesshoumaru, would cower, grovel, beg for forgiveness for what ever transgression they had made against the demon lord.

But Kouga wasn't the groveling type.

"Fuck you, Asshole." He growled, his voice holding a slight gurgle as he choked on his own blood. "I don't know what cat demon crawled up your ass and died, but it sure as shit ain't got nothing to do with me." Again, despite his body's weakened condition, Kouga attempted to regain his feet. His attempt was met with a hard, sharp, kick to his already bruised ribs. This time, Kouga couldn't help the pained yelp that escaped him as he crashed back hard to the ground, rolling across the uneven earthen floor from the force of Sesshoumaru's blow.

"Cur!" Sesshoumaru snarled, his voice deadly soft as he bent down to grab Kouga by the nape of his neck. "You dare to speak to this Sesshoumaru-sama with such disrespect?"

The Tai youkai had leaned close, that coolly aristocratic face twisted into a scowl of displeasure. Which, of course, was strange in that Sesshoumaru never showed emotion of any kind. Whatever Kouga did. . .it must have been serious. The thing was, Kouga had no idea what he had done to the Lord of the Western Lands. It had been two hundred years since Naraku was defeated. His pack had been severely reduced in numbers after that fight, and they still hadn't regained the same amount of numbers that they once had enjoyed. Kagome and Inuyasha had gone back to her time, but they still made frequent visits to Kouga, Sango and Miroku. Between trying to survive, fighting off intruders, and barely making ends meet.... Kouga really didn't have a lot of time to fuck with the Taiyoukai. The last time he had even been in the western lands was... well, two hundred and fifty years ago.

Go figure the first time he should set foot over the border he would be met with this type of ferocity.

Kouga knew he was going to die from his wounds. They were too severe, and his normally quick healing body was poisoned and damaged from the inside out. Not to mention that the feral look in Sesshoumaru's eyes denoted that Kouga wasn't long for this world. Which really, really, pissed him off. Kouga had a lot to do, an entire pack to look out for. He was counted on, needed. And this prick bastard of a dog demon was going to end his life, and in the process, screw over his entire pack. How DARE he talk about disrespect? Fuck. Kouga was gonna die anyway, why would he censure his tongue.

Kouga growled lowly, one hand reaching up to grab Sesshoumaru's arm. He was too weak, however, to hold it for long and it flopped down uselessly at his side. Ah but the pain! The pain coursing through his body was immense. It was enough to have the wolf prince want to beg for release from it. Nothing he had ever experienced before was remotely like this brand of pain. And it was all caused by that bastard Sesshoumaru.

"I said. Fuck. You." Kouga growled again, this time unwisely adding insult to injury by spitting blood into Sesshoumaru's face. Sesshoumaru did not flinch, not in the slightest. His cold eyes, despite their fiery red, bore down into Kouga's own cobalt blue unflinchingly. Blood was now splattered across the stoic Lord of the Western Lands alabaster face. The sight garish and strange.

Sesshoumaru scented the air, the flavor of Kouga's blood, and let a cruel smile curl deviously across his lips.

"I see you've been keeping secrets wolf Prince." Sesshoumaru's voice held a hint of cruel amusement.

Kouga flinched. His eyes widened in horror and panic. No! Sesshoumaru couldn't have possibly known. He couldn't possibly have scented that...could he? Just from a little bit of blood? Instantly Kouga's entire body went hot and then cold. Well, he supposed it didn't matter anyway, as he was definitely about to die.

"Go to Hell Sesshoumaru, you over grown bag of fleas. I ain't got got," Kouga stuttered and then coughed, more blood filling his mouth as his insides twisted and burned in agony. "no clue," he finally wheezed. "what you're talking 'bout."

Sesshoumaru shook his head slowly, letting the wolf prince fall in an ungracious heap to the forest floor.

"You know, little wolf, that I was fully intending on killing you. After all, nobody harms what is mine, be they demon or human. However... this, I believe, changes things. Indeed. I have come up with a most fitting punishment for you, wolf prince. One, I am sure, you will most certainly not enjoy."

Again Sesshoumaru's lips quirked up into that oddly frightening smirk.

"Ah, but first." Sesshoumaru raised his hand, allowing it to grow that putrid sickly green as all the poisons raced towards his claw.

"You must die, in order for me to have the revenge I so desperately crave."

Kouga closed his eyes, frightened and confused. He would be damned, however, if he showed it. "Fuck off Sesshoumaru." He growled, eyes flickering open just in time to see the tai youkai descend upon him, poisoned claws coming at him in a downward arc.

Kouga screamed as those claws ripped into his flesh, severing muscles and tendons, slicing into bone. He screamed again as the poison took root in his system, frying his already damaged flesh. Bright sparks of pain exploded in his head, raced through his body. Everything was on fire, blindingly bright as lights went off in his head. And then...

Everything went blessedly dark.

Kouga awoke feeling sore, tired, and badly used. Every muscle in his body ached and his skin gave a ghostly sort of burn. With eyes closed, he reached a hand up to rub at the fierce ache building in his temples, the sort that denoted the start of a rather painful migraine. His hand, however, was cut short of it's intended goal as the hard press of cold iron bit into his wrists.

Kouga's blue eyes flew open in shock and anger. He found that he was still lying upon the forest floor, the hard gritty earth pressing against his back. His eyes winced away from the bright heat of the sun, high up in the noon day sky, and instead fell to his side.

Holy shit!

Kouga was chained to the ground, spread eagle, and staked down by what appeared to be long iron spikes buried deep within the soil. Chains lead tautly from those spikes to end in cuffs around his wrists and ankles. To make matters worse. . . Kouga was as naked as the day he was born. His wolf pelt and Armour had long ago been stripped from him, leaving his front side at the mercy of a grueling sun. No wonder he had burned! His entire body had been scorched from the merciless sun, driving pins and needles through his skin and making Kouga squirm in his bonds in the process.

But how...?

His rather prompt fight with Lord Sesshoumaru cam rushing back to him, filling his ears with a dull roar as he processed what must have happened. Sesshoumaru had killed him, alright. There was no doubt about it. No one could withstand the amount of toxins Sesshoumaru had poured into his body, as well as the gruesome attack that had broken a good many of his bones, and left him pathetically bleeding on the forest floor. No, he had definitely died... only to be brought back by Sesshoumaru's sword. Tensaiga.

But why?

Kouga didn't know what he had done that would enrage the demon lord to the point of killing and then reviving him over and over again. That was the worst sort of torture, and Kouga wasn't sure he was strong enough to withstand any more of that sort of pain without begging out for forgiveness or release. He gritted his teeth at the thought. He would not beg! He was the prince of the northern wolf tribe god damn it all to hell, and he WOULD NOT BEG. Kouga jerked at the manacles securing his arms, trying to rend them from the earth. They would, however, not budge. Which of course, only infuriated Kouga further. His attempts to escape his bonds became desperately furious. He growled, howled, kicked and swore as he struggled to break free. But whatever Sesshoumaru had used to bind him to the ground was too strong for Kouga's demon strength to break or even pull free.

"COWARD!" Kouga shouted, his voice raspy. "Do you hear me you sack of crap! You overgrown puppy! You're a worthless piece of-"

A sharp kick to the ribs cut off whatever insult Kouga was about to scream for the entire forest to hear.

"No, no, do go ahead Kouga." Sesshoumaru said, his voice unaffected as usual. "Do continue. This Sesshoumaru would like to hear what else you have to say."

Kouga couldn't miss the sarcasm in those words, or the blatant challenge. Piercing golden eyes bored down into his own, and Kouga felt sweat break out across his forehead as he met those eyes stare for stare.

"I said you're a coward, a piece of shit, and a poor excuse for a -"

The sound of his own ribs cracking echoed in his ears as Sesshoumaru's foot once again collided with his side. Kouga bit off his scream of pain, but could do little to stop the pained wheeze that left his lips every time he breathed. What the fuck was this guy's deal? Hadn't they fought together? Shit. Kouga had thought he was on somewhat friendly terms with the tai youkai. Apparently he was wrong. But what had changed? What had he done?

"Fuckin' Sadistic bastard." Kouga growled lowly, his eyes snapping as he glared at the Lord of the West through his pain.

"How humorous you should think so." Sesshoumaru said coolly. "It seems we have much to discuss, little wolf prince. Perhaps you would like to know why I fully intend to make you beg for death at my hands? Hmm?" The condescension riding in his tone sent Kouga's hackles up.

"Fuck you Sess-"

This time Kouga's words were cut off by a back hand to the face. He spit out the blood from his mouth, wiggling a now loose tooth with his tongue. God Damn, that bastard could hit hard. Kouga couldn't remember the last time he had taken this much abuse. Not since he had been a pup, that's for damn sure.

"You will mind your tongue in my presence wolf. I have little patience for disrespect to this Sesshoumaru."

Kouga merely growled low in his throat. Pegged down like this, completely at Sesshoumaru's mercy, he wasn't stupid enough to completely bait the guy into giving him the beat down of a lifetime.

"A little over two hundred years ago, you and your pack dared to touch what was mine. You killed her, and although I was able to revive her, the injustice has long since gone unpunished. Now, it is your time of reckoning, little wolf prince. It is time for you to learn that what belongs to this Sesshoumaru is not to be touched by one as lowly as yourself."

"What the fuck are you talking abou-"

And there was another hit to the face, this time it did end up knocking that loose tooth out. Fuck.

"My human ward. Your pack attacked the village where she was staying, and killed her. This Sesshoumaru does not tolerate others touching what is his. And retribution for your deeds will be mine."

A human ward? Shit... that was a long time ago. Kouga scrunched his forehead in thought, trying to remember Sesshoumaru's human child. Vaguely he recalled a small girl clutching a bouquet of flowers in her hands, always on Sesshoumaru's heels.

He had killed her? Shit, Kouga didn't even remember. Actually, he usually made it a point to stay well away from humans unless they attacked first. But there was little he could do about the rest of his pack. That thought brought a flush of shame to his face. A true Alpha wouldn't need to worry about his pack obeying his commands. The force of his will through the bond would be enough to keep them in line.

"I didn't kill her." Kouga growled. Which was true. Never had Kouga killed a child, be they human or demon. Though there were many times when the brats were running around his feet and tripping him up that he had been sorely tempted to. But harm a child? No. Kouga just wasn't capable of that sort of abuse.

"No, indeed you did not. But you allowed others in that poor excuse of a pack to do so. And as you are their leader, and they your lessers, it is upon you who the blame and the punishment falls upon, wolf."

Kouga gritted his teeth at the complete unfairness of the entire situation. How long had Sesshoumaru held this grudge for? And hadn't he himself rectified it by bringing the child back to life?

"Then kill me." Kouga said, shocked by himself. "Just kill me and get it over with. Stop pussy-footing around."

"I'm sure you would like that, wolf. And, I admit, that I fully intended on ending your pathetic life the moment you dared to set foot on my lands. But now, you see, I have discovered the secret you have coveted for so long and my plans have, indeed, changed."

A wash of icy cold terror swept through Kouga at Sesshoumaru's words. His secret? But how? No one knew of it! Only his father had, and that old bastard had died a long time ago. His mother hadn't even been aware of the shame she had brought into the world.

"You know, I had always wondered about you wolf. Wondered why a full blooded demon had not dispatched my pest of a younger brother. Wondered why, if you wanted his woman so badly, you did not just take her and claim her for your own. But you couldn't, could you little wolf? Not even that perfectly sweet, submissive, wolf that was following you around for years after the battle with Naraku. It had always struck me as remarkably odd...but now I know why." A ghost of a smile floated across Sesshoumaru's smug face.

Fuck! No! Kouga growled, thrashing in his bonds, feeling the iron bite into his flesh as blood pooled out of the lacerations in his wrists and ankles. He didn't feel the pain from those self inflicted wounds, didn't feel the hard bite of iron shredding his skin as he fought desperately to get free. The only thing he did feel, however, was panic. Panic that Sesshoumaru had somehow unearthed his secret, and rage that he had allowed Sesshoumaru to do so.

"You don't know shit! Let me go!"

Sesshoumaru chuckled, but it was a sound that lacked all humor.

"I think not, little wolf. You see, I have much greater plans for you. Perhaps we shall both travel to your pack while you tell them the truth, Kouga."

"No! Fuck you!" Kouga growled, still thrashing wildly against the chains that bound him.

"Yes, you can tell them yourself that you are not really an Alpha wolf. That for all of these years you have been lying to them. That's why your pack is doomed to fail Kouga. That is why you lose almost every battle you enter in to. A pack needs an Alpha to lead them, not a Beta."

"Shut the fuck up!" Kouga screamed, fangs fully bared and rage alight in his eyes. "You don't know shit! You don't know-"

Sesshoumaru's booted foot came crashing down on his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs.

"Do not presume to be aware of what I do and do not know, wolf. I do know that you are a Beta wolf. Not an Alpha, yet submissive to no Alpha. That is why you can not mark a mate, why you could not take Kagome or Ayame. You are not meant for them. No, you, my little wolf," Sesshoumaru leaned down, golden eyes cruelly mocking "were meant to be marked yourself. Like a bitch."

Kouga howled then, all his pain and fury put into the sound. "F-Fuck you! It's a lie! No one's gonna mark me! No one!" Kouga would be thrice damned if he ever let another male chomp into his neck. He didn't want to be marked. Didn't want to play the submissive to somebody else's alpha god damn it! He knew that in large packs, Betas were rare and often treasured. The most beloved of all the wolves. But his pack didn't have an Alpha. He had been his father's only son. Kouga winced at the memory of his childhood. Somehow, his father had known since the moment he was born that Kouga was not an Alpha. That he would never be able to fully lead the pack. His father had never forgiven him for that. Instead, he had always pushed Kouga to be the strongest, the fastest, the smartest. He had beaten Kouga for minor indiscretions, hoping that through pain and strife Kouga would somehow change his colors. Would become an Alpha like his father. Kouga had tried, dammit, he had tried for years to be the wolf his father wanted him to be. But Sesshoumaru was right. He wasn't meant to be a leader. His pack was dying off in slow numbers, and it was his fault.

That didn't mean, however, that Kouga was about to bend over and take it from any strong Alpha male that dared to cross his path. He wouldn't let himself be subjugated like that. Wouldn't allow what his father had most feared to come to pass. How long had he been lying to everyone? His entire life? Did Sesshoumaru have any idea how hard it was to play at being an alpha? He had had to lie to everyone around him, himself included. How else could he have confronted Inuyasha all those times? Took a stand against Naraku? They had both been strong Alpha males, and pushing his will against theirs had taken more of a toll on him then either of them knew. All this time... all these years... and Sesshoumaru had figured it out from a little bit of blood. This wasn't the end. It couldn't be.

"I'm nobody's bitch." Kouga growled, as if daring Sesshoumaru to nay say him. "And I never will be. You've had your revenge, Sesshoumaru. Now let me go."

Sesshoumaru leaned back, a smirk pulling tauntingly on his cruel lips.

"I haven't quite finished with you yet Kouga. You see, I came up with the perfect punishment for you." Another cruel smile sent shivers of dread racing down Kouga's spine. "You are right in one thing. You are nobody's bitch.... Nobody's bitch but mine, that is."

It was then that Sesshoumaru traced a delicate hand across Kouga's neck and shoulder. And there, his fingers trailed over an upraised, swollen patch of skin. Sensation jolted through Kouga's body at the touch, even as he threw his head back to scream his denial.

And through those agonizing wails of defeat and anger, Sesshoumaru simply smirked. For he had marked the young wolf prince as his own while he slept. After all, what better way to give the brash young prince the punishment he deserved? If he ran, and Sesshoumaru had no doubt he would, all would know of his secret. And all would know of his shame. It was the perfect revenge.

At least, that was what Sesshoumaru had thought at the time.

So what do you think? Love it, hate it? Let me know. I'm all ears ^.~ If only you guys KNEW what I went through to get this damn thing up here. Sheesh. I must be technologically slow or something. XP


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Kouga sat shivering and miserable in the dark, damp, cell that was his new home. His skin simultaneously itched and burned from being out unprotected in the sun for far too long and bruises were littered across his face from being what Sesshoumaru like to call "Insubordinate". Damn it all, he thought with a fierceness of spirit that surprised him, this just wasn't fair. What kind of revenge was this? He had been in Sesshoumaru's possession for three long weeks now. He could practically hear his brother's cries and howls of worry as they began their search for him. Kouga never strayed this long away from his pack. The longest he had been away from his pack mates was a week and that was nearly fifty years ago. Kouga ducked his head at the memory. His heat, which every demon goes through every hundred years or so, had come up on him out of nowhere. He had scarcely had time to bolt from his den before his brothers caught wind of him. It had been a close call indeed and he had been mighty lucky that his heat struck in the dead of night, when the rest of the pack had been sleeping. With the amount of pheromones pouring off his body during his heat, it wouldn't have taken his pack long to figure out that their Alpha had been keeping secrets from them.

For fucks sake! Kouga thought with a growl. What was so wrong about being a beta? Alphas were generally leaders of the pack. They were strong, temperamental, and didn't take shit from anybody. They were also territorial and protective. The subs, or the lesser wolves, were submissive to most alphas. They relied upon him to lead, to provide, and to protect them. Not to say that submissive wolves were not capable of caring for themselves. Pluck any sub from a pack and put him on his own and he or she could most likely take care of themselves. They could hunt, fight, and run if need be. But wolves didn't want to be by themselves. They needed the security and comfort that pack life provided. The warm press of furry bodies, the feeling of brotherhood and home. A wolf without a pack was like a human without an arm. Sure they could survive and make it through day to day life, but it was harder to do so and they were constantly plagued with the feeling that something was missing.

Curled into a small ball in the corner of his cell, Kouga was drowning in said feeling. He missed his pack. Missed their scent, their comfort. Hell, he even missed the pile of furry bodies that constantly made their way onto his pallet in the middle of the night. Would his brothers reject him if they found out he was a beta? Kouga didn't know. No more than he knew what it was to truly be a Beta. In real wolves, betas weren't so uncommon. But in demons? They were exceptionally rare, and any pack that had one was said to be favored by the Gods. Betas weren't Alphas, but they weren't submissive either. Out of all the wolves, Betas were the most adaptable for living on their own. They didn't have that pressing need to allow another to pave the way, and yet they weren't the protectors and providers that Alphas were either. A true Beta was a mix of both. Not an Alpha, nit not submissive to any Alpha either. In a pack structure Betas were good for keeping the peace. True Betas had the capability to calm an agitated pack just by standing in their presence. In a demonic pack, Betas were good for treaties and peace keeping. Where and Alpha would rush and make demands, or a submissive wolf would allow a more dominant wolf to push them around, Betas could strike an easy balance between the two. Age old rivalries could be forgotten in the presence of a powerful Beta, and logic as well as reason could be allowed to flow freely. If Kouga had had any blood brothers who were born as Alphas, his life would have been much simpler. His father, he was sure, would have treasured him instead of hating him. And, most assuredly, he would not be in the position he was in now. Beaten. Cold. Hungry. The property of a demon who wanted little from him other than his suffering.

Damn the fates for cursing him like this! All he had ever done his entire life was to try to protect his pack, his brothers. Head a capable Alpha walked in and wanted control Kouga would have handed the reigns over in a heartbeat. Instead he had spent his entire life trying to be something he was not

"You're worthless!" he remembered his father hissing the words into his ear before dealing him a staggering blow to the back of the head.

"I send you out to hunt, to provide, and this is what you dare to bring home to me? You are no son of mine, you worthless little whelp. You're not worth the fur on your back or the food it takes to keep you alive." His father had cuffed him again, sending the five year old Kouga sprawling into the muddy snow.

"You'll not be stepping foot inside this cave tonight, whelp. Go leech your warmth from another pack that cares to provide for the selfish, worthless, run that you are."

Tears had sprung into young Kouga's eyes as he stared at the offering he had given to his father. A young doe, perhaps four seasons old, lay gutted at the old man's feet. She had been pitifully thin, more bones than anything else, and he hind leg had been injured. Still, it hadn't been easy for the youngster to bring down that doe. It was high into the winter season where the air was bitterly cold and the food equally scarce. Kouga had been gone for three days, ordered by a father (who he dared not disobey) not to come home until he brought back a haul that would earn his keep. And though Kouga had spent days trudging through winter snows that reached up to his waist with nothing but a scrap of a blanket that his father dared to call clothing, the catch wasn't good enough. Kouga had stared miserably at the doe, wishing that it had been a fat buck instead. Wishing that he were bigger, faster, stronger. Anything that would make his father love him, if even just the tiniest bit.

But Kouga knew, even at the tender age of five, that there was nothing on this earth that would make his father proud of him. No matter what Kouga did, it just wasn't good enough. So he had trudged back out into a cold, snowy, night and took shelter in the forest that surrounded the hills of his home. He huddled down the night in the eye of an old tree and as the winter flakes fell down fat and thick onto an already snow packed ground, he had allowed himself to cry. He cried himself to sleep that night, his tears finally safe to shed. His tears that night froze on his face as his little fingers were burned raw from the cold. In the morning, he had known, he would return to his father and beg for forgiveness. Just as he knew that his father would take him out of the sight of the rest of the pack and beat him mercilessly for being such a disappoint. For being weak.

And now, here he was, a demon grown and yet he found himself in a frighteningly similar situation.

Sesshoumaru rarely let him out of this damned cell, and when he did, it was only to stake him to the ground outside for running his mouth. Whenever Kouga saw that cold hearted prick, he instantly began spouting off curses and empty threats. Because, dammit, he'd take the blistering sun over this damp and cold cell any day. The dungeon was dark, with no light allowed to penetrate to its depths. Sometimes Sesshoumaru would leave him down here for days at a time. No food and no water, except for what he could lick off the damp stone walls.

There was little in the way of comfort for him here, that bastard dog demon hadn't even given him a pallet to lay on. Kouga had been quickly reduced to the life of a convict of the lowest sort. His body seemed to be in constant pain. And Sesshoumaru? The bastard couldn't care less. Some Alpha he was. The prick had marked him like a bitch or a she-wolf while he slept. That mark signified to all demons with a decent nose that Kouga was the property of Lord Sesshoumaru.

Property my ass! Kouga thought with a sneer. He was just lucky that the bastard hadn't mated him too. Two males mating wasn't all that uncommon, especially when on of the males happened to be a beta. Betas couldn't make a mark on females, they didn't have the proper mojo to do it. That didn't stop Alphas, however, from marking and then mating a Beta. A mark was like a flirtation of mating. It had all the intent and promise, but lacked the actual action that would make it a true mating.

How easily that mark could be changed was a scary thought, and one Kouga resolutely shied away from. He'd sooner die then to allow that prick to mate with him. Because once that was done, Kouga would be tied to him for the rest of his natural born life. The only upside to this was that Sesshoumaru wouldn't be able to kill him. One mate could not take another's life. That didn't mean that Kouga would be protected from him if Sesshoumaru chose to beat him soundly.

Ah, Fuck! What a sorry mess he was. The dog demon didn't know it, because Kouga would never let him, but he was terrified every time he head the telling sound of Sesshoumaru's footsteps echoing through the dungeon. Terrified of what the bastard would do to him next. Kouga never let the dog demon see that fear though. Anytime Sesshoumaru came remotely near him Kouga bared his fangs in challenge and let the insults fly. It was, at first, hard to find something that the bastard was actually sensitive about. Most of his insults in those early days had ended in a smug smirk and a mere smack upside the head. Just recently though, Kouga had struck gold. It seemed that the big bad Sesshoumaru still had some Daddy hang ups, which Kouga relished in exploiting. It usually resulted in a severe beating and once, a broken jaw, but it was completely worth it to see the rage light up in those cold amber eyes.

It also made it seem like Kouga didn't give a damn what that fluffy piece of shit did to him. He came off cocky, brash, and unafraid. Which was exactly what he was going for in those barbed insults. Kouga was so used to pretending he was someone else that fucking with Sesshoumaru see,ed almost like second nature. And, if he got the prick mad enough, he wouldn't see how Kouga flinched every time Sesshoumaru came near him. But the wolf had no energy for insults today. He hadn't eaten in four days and his only source of water had come from the damp and dewy walls. Normally a fast healer. Kouga's wounds from him last bout with the dog demon still hadn't healed. If he took the time to really concentrate on how his body was feeling, Kouga would find that he was really quite sick. Dark, purplish, bruises that should have faded within a manner of hours still hadn't healed. Nor had the blisteringly red sunburn that scorched his entire body. Kouga hadn't been able to sleep down here either. His thoughts were consumed with worry for his pack mates and his future. And, huddled alone in this dark and gloomy place, Kouga didn't trust himself enough to fall asleep for fear that he would never wake up again.

So, instead, he focused on his heart ache and his home-sickness. He was so consumed in his thoughts, which had become increasingly feverish, that he didn't hear those tell tale footsteps until it was too late.

"Wolf." The sharp bite in Sesshoumaru's voice sent Kouga's head spinning and his heart racing. Fuck! No! Shit! He had to calm down, had to regain control of his emotions and his dear. He couldn't let the bastard know...

"What have you been doing to yourself? Come here."

Had Sesshoumaru been eating poisonous mushrooms? He was the reason that Kouga was such a mess! It wasn't as if he had been bashing hi own head against a wall for the past four days, though it certainly felt like it. An Sesshoumaru was high as a bird demon if he honestly thought that Kouga would come to him when he called.

But the wold prince did not have the patience or the energy to verbally spar with Lord Sesshoumaru today. Instead he let out a rough, gravelly, growl that clearly warned Mr. High and Mighty to stay the fuck away from him. And although he had every intention of making that growl as menacing as possible, it came out rather weak. Like that of a cornered, beaten, animal.

"Kouga you will cease you growling and come closer to this Sesshoumaru, so that I may inspect you thoroughly."

All this proved in doing was eliciting another growl from the wolf demon and a half mumbled,

"Leave me the hell alone, dog breath."

Sesshoumaru let out a growl of his own. One that instantly sent Kouga's tail cowering between his legs.

"You will come. Here. Now. If you do not, little wolf, I promise you will not enjoy the consequences."

Although Kouga was in no shape to withstand another one of Sesshoumaru's "punishments", habit born from many years of playing th Alpha male, had him snarling and growling with fangs bared.

"Go away asshole, I'm in no mood for your shit today." Or any other day of the week for that matter. Sesshoumaru let out a sound that, in a lesser being, would have been considered a sigh.

"Have it you way wolf." No sooner were the words out of his mouth then Sesshoumaru was standing before him, raising him off the floor by a steely grip at the nape of his neck.

Kouga couldn't helped the pained whine that escaped him at Sesshoumaru's indelicate touch. He struggled to wriggle himself free of the tai youkai's hold, but to no avail. He was too weak, he found with shock, to even put up a semblance of a fight. And he was so suck of fighting. So sick of the pain. He just wanted it to end. All of it. Hell, who knew? Maybe his pack was better off without him anyway.

"You, my little wolf, are pathetic." There was a good deal of anger in Sesshoumaru's tone as he spoke, his golden eyes boring into Kouga's flinching cobalt orbs.

"You cant even heal yourself properly. You practically beg me to beat you mindless, and yet you are incapable of dealing with the repercussions. How you have survived this long is beyond my ability to comprehend."

Kouga flinched at the words that seemed to echo his long dead father's.

"F-Fuck you." He growled weakly, still dangling in Sesshoumaru's easy grip.

The eerie silence that followed the statement was long enough to send icy cold fingers of dread trailing up his spine. Oh shit. Head pissed Sesshoumaru off royally this time. That bastard always got real quiet right before he beat the bloody hell out of him.

"N-No. Don't." Kouga could no more stop the pleas from passing his lips then he could stop his eyes from, flinching away from Sesshoumaru's piercing gaze. With another sound, that again sounded curiously like a sigh, Sesshoumaru flung Kouga ungraciously over his shoulder.

Kouga let out a hard woof of breath a his stomach (still painfully burned from so many hours spent under the hot sun) collided with Sesshoumaru's rather broad, lean, shoulder.

"W-Where are you taking me? I don't wanna go anywhere with you. Leave me alone! Put me down! Stop-" his shouts were cut off as Sesshoumaru's heavy, slightly callused, hand slammed down on Kouga's bare, upturned, ass.

All thought and words screeched to a sudden halt at the action. Had he...

Had Sesshoumaru just spanked him like a naughty child?

"Silence wold. If you find it necessary to run that garbage heap you call a mouth, you will address me by 'my lord' or 'Lord Sesshoumaru'. Otherwise you will face the consequences. As for your question, I am taking you to get a bath. You reek of sickness and filth. The smell offends this Sesshoumaru."

A bath? No way! It was bad enough the pervert beat him while he was naked, he wasn't about to let the bastard bathe him too!

"Fuck that! Fuckin' let me down you sack of shi- yeowch!"

As Sesshoumaru carried and increasingly agitated Kouga out of the dungeon and into the castle, Kouga's bottom grew just as increasingly red as their journey progressed.

"Put me down now! I swear I'll- ouch!"

"For the love of-" Here Kouga let out a pained howl.

"WOULD YOU FUCKING STOP THAT!?!"

"If you would simply close your mouth, pup, I would not have to treat you like a child."

Was it just him, or was there a trace of amusement in Sesshoumaru's voice? Angry at the injustice and humiliation Sesshoumaru was dealing him, head little time to respond before they entered chamber that was moist and warm. Kouga used much of his rapidly draining energy to prop himself up to see where the bastard had taken him. Stone walls and stone floors met his questing gaze. Potted plants thrived in the corners of the room and beyond Kouga could make out the unmistakable sound of...

"You built your fortress over a friggin' hot spring?"

"It was convenient for this Sesshoumaru."

Go figure.

With much more care than Kouga had ever experienced at Sesshoumaru's hands, he lowered him to the lip of the spring.

"You will rid yourself of that filthy scent now." He commanded, his voice cold but his will clear.

"Fine. I'll bathe. But I ain't doin' it in front of you so...fuck off!" With his rear end pressed flat against the warms stones that angled gently into the spring, Kouga felt more secure in telling Sesshoumaru in no uncertain terms just where he could shove it.

"If I thought you capable of bathing yourself, wolf, I would. This Sesshoumaru has no desire to watch a whelp such as you bathe."

Kouga bristled in agitation. Just who did this guy think he was!? Kouga wasn't a child, he knew how to clean himself.

"I'll make sure to scrub behind my ears, Mom." He growled. "Now leave me alone! Or else I ain't doin' it!"

Oh but a bath! And in a hot spring no less? Just the thought of that warm water lapping against his aching body was enough to have him shuddering with pure bliss. He didn't want Sesshoumaru to watch him bathe, something he viewed as intensely private, and yet. . . h didn't NOT want to be slide into those invitingly warm waters.

If this was a new plan of torture Sesshoumaru had devised, he was doing well at it.

"I do not question your competency to bathe, wolf, though perhaps I should. I question your strength. You are weakened, and those waters are deep. I do not trust you to keep yourself afloat for very long. You excel at pushing yourself to your limits."

Kouga arched an eyebrow.

"Is that concern? How touching."he sneered, wriggling over toward the edge of the hot spring and allowing his feet to dip into the warm, bubbling, waters. A shiver of pleasure coursed through him, starting at his toes and climbing up towards the very tips of his ears. "But I don't need it. I'll be just fine by myself." As if to prove his words Kouga eased himself down into the warm waters, submerging his body up to his neck. Sesshoumaru had been right, the waters here were very deep. Deep enough that a full grown demon would not be able to touch the silty bottom. But no matter, Kouga had always been an excellent swimmer. And what did dog breath know anyway? If anyone was to be a judge of his strength than it was him himself, dammit! And he was perfectly fine!

The water felt purely sinful as it caressed his bruised and battered body. Soothing the aches that seemed to go bone deep in some places. Sure, it didn't exactly tickle his sun burnt flesh, but it still felt good after days of being cold and damp. Good enough that Kouga felt confident to let go of the lip of the spring.

He swam for maybe six seconds right up until he promptly began to sink towards the bottom.

Fuck!

As his head dipped below the water, he thrashed his legs, wincing as the muscles cramped up. No no no! He as not going to down with dog breath watching! He could already see that smug smile curling on Sesshoumaru's lips as he watched Kouga fight for his life. And that bastard had warned him too! It had all been a trick, Kouga realized as his breath began to constrict in his chest and his lungs grew tight. That devious bastard had wanted him to drown! Panic was now coursing through his veins as he fought with all the strength he had left in his body to rise to the top of the water. Instead of rising, however, he was sinking miserably. He didn't want to die! Not like this!

Kouga closed his eyes, lungs screaming in protest as warm water filled his mouth and nostrils. Hell, after being so cold for so long...this wasn't such a bad way to go.

A firm hand snatched his arm, pulling him tight to a hard, broad, chest. Suddenly the water around them was moving, parting, as strong legs cut easily through the water and propelled them upwards. A heartbeat later Kouga found himself coughing up water while wheezing in choking breaths. He stared, wide eyed, at a glowering and sopping wet Sesshoumaru. The bastard had actually saved him! Had jumped right into the hot spring and pulled him up!

Clearly shocked, and still coughing up lung fulls of water, he allowed himself to be manhandled by Sesshoumaru, who dragged him to an outcropping of large boulders in the center of the spring. Here, built into the spring, was a rock that serves as the perfect seat for a wear water logged Kouga. With his lower half, starting just blow his ribs, still in the water, he was in no danger of drowning.

"Next time, wolf, heed me when I speak." Sesshoumaru said on a growl. His silver white bangs were plastered to his forehead, and his long mane of hair clung to his shoulders and back.

"You will remain seated here as this Sesshoumaru has no desire ti save your worthless hide twice." Although the words were spoken coldly, Sesshoumaru had somehow managed to work a small growl into there.

If Kouga hadn't been so shocked by his near drowning, he might have been scared about the deadly and irritated look Sesshoumaru was sending his way. Instead, the only thin he noticed was that Sesshoumaru had stripped off both his Armour and his shirt before plunging into the waters to retrieve him. He had, however, not removed his silk pants. A small part of Kouga desperately wished they were ruined. It'd serve the bastard right!

"Wolf! Do you understand me? Or do I need to bathe you myself?"

Kouga blinked slightly groggy eyes as he realized that Sesshoumaru had been speaking to him.

"Uh, yeah. Got it. Loud and Clear."

Sesshoumaru cast him a look that said he very much doubted it. Reaching behind him, the dog demon grabbed a delicately hand made jar. He opened the bejeweled lid and, using his clawed fingers, scooped up a generous portion if some sort of sweetly smelling goo. The scent sparked a flash of recognition in Kouga, and as he tried to remember where he had scented it before, Sesshoumaru dumped the contents in his hand unceremoniously atop Kouga's head.

((A/N: GLOOP. PLOP))

"Hey! What the the-"

"It is soap. You will rub it in."

Before Kouga could so much as duck, Sesshoumaru reached behind him and, using his claws, snapped the leather band that held his long raven hair behind his head.

"Hey!" Kouga growled as his hair fell down in thick clumps just beyond his shoulders. "I can do it myself!"

Okay, so now he was definitely starting to sound like some sort of petulant child. Was this what he had been reduced to? For crying out loud! He didn't need to be babied. And certainly not by his worst enemy!

"Then do it, runt. And cease staring off into the distance. You are sickly and cannot afford to dwell long in the springs. This is common sense, but seeing as you seem to lack it, I am forced to point this things out to you."

Kouga opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a very fierce, very male, growl.

"Any more lip from you, pup, and I will be taking it out on your backside. Bathe. Now. For this Sesshoumaru grows tired of your company."

Kouga had half a mind to tell him where he could shove it, but recognized that he had little strength for a battle of wills with Sesshoumaru right now. With a sigh, and a pointed glare at Mr. Higher than thou art, he raised arms that were trembling with fatigue over his head and massaged the familiar smelling goop into his long, wet, hair. In no time at all he had built up quite the later. Now how was he going to rinse this crap out?

Before he could even formulate the question Sesshoumaru dump a pitcher of cold water over Kouga's head, leaving the wolf prince sputtering.

"I don't need your-"

Another pitcher of water was dumped over his head, and Kouga had to close his eyes from the sting of the soap.

Three more pitchers later and apparently Sesshoumaru was satisfied that Kouga was clean. He grabbed the wolf prince from his perch, tucking him under his arm, and with one graceful leap, landed on the other side of the springs. He held Kouga like a sack of potatoes as he walked out of the springs and onto solid ground. Kouga, who hadn't expected the leap nor the manhandling, tried to clear his dizzied head.

"You know, I cant stand on my own now." He said on a growl, once he had regained his senses, and began to wriggle like a worm caught on a hook.

"This Sesshoumaru highly doubts it."

"Well, this Kouga," he sneered, although without his usual force of will "doesn'tt give a shi-Ommph!"

Kouga snarled as he hit the ground flat on his face. Great. Just what he needed. More bruises to add to his growing collection.

"Get up wold. That is, if you deem yourself capable."

Kouga snarled, his body aching and shivering as the cooler air brushed against his wet skin. He gritted his teeth, knowing that Sesshoumaru was standing patiently by, waiting for him to fail. The thought of having the bastard carry him as if he were some sort of weak female was enough to rattle his nerves and set his teeth on edge. Images of his past, of his father, floated up from his subconscious and played again before his eyes. He'd be damned if he allowed anyone to see him as weak, as defenseless. He'd prove both those bastards wrong.

Kouga pushed himself to his knees, trembling with exertion. Although the waters from the spring had done much to soothe his aching muscles, he still weak from the days spent in his cell with no food and little water. Weakness, however, was something Kouga could not afford at the moment. When Sesshoumaru led him back to his cell, then, and only then would he allow himself the luxury of collapsing. Truth be told, Kouga was just too damn tired. Tired of the charade he had been living his entire life, tired of always putting on a brave face, tired of the constant pain and suffering that seemed to sum up his life. Was there ever to be any release from this? Would the shit-show never end? A small part of him wished that Sesshoumaru would have just let him die that day.

Anger and rebellion coursed through him at the thought. Give up? Just like that? Fuck no.

So instead of collapsing to the floor in a humiliated heap. Kouga pushed himself to his feet by the sheer force of his will alone. Cobalt blue eyes clashed rebelliously with honey amber as he stood before Sesshoumaru and met his gaze dead on. So what if he legs trembled just the tiniest bit? He was standing on his own two feet, giving Sesshoumaru a big fuck-you-I-told-you-so.

He might have looked more dignified if not for the fact that he was stark naked, sopping wet, and shivering uncontrollably.

Sesshoumaru merely arched a brow, disapproval glinting his cold eyes and the hard set of his mouth.

"Have it your way Wolf." Sesshoumaru conceded, stooping down to pluck his haori from the floor. Kouga startled as the equally sopping wet Sesshoumaru tossed his haori to Kouga.

"Put it on."

Kouga stared down at the surprisingly soft, delicately stitched, haori in his hands. It was still warm from the heat of Sesshoumaru's body, and carried with it the distinct musk that was pure Lord Sesshoumaru. Why would the bastard give him this? What kind of game was he playing at here?

"I don't need-"

One minute Kouga had been on his own two feet, shivering yet defiant, and in the next he found himself pressed flush against the cool stone wall with Sesshoumaru's hand wrapped snugly around his throat.

"Listen to me now, wolf, and heed my words for I will not trouble myself to repeat them again," Sesshoumaru had leaned in close, his warm breath fanning gently across Kouga's cheek in even,measured, words. "I will no longer tolerate anymore sass from you. If I tell you to do something, you will do it. Immediately. Without question or insult. You have pushed my patience to the limit, wolf prince, and this Sesshoumaru no longer cares if you are sick or injured. The next time you dare to disobey my orders, I will throw you across my knee and beat you like a recalcitrant child. Do you understand?"

With the hard press of Sesshoumaru's body pinning him to the wall, and the intolerant and fierce glare in his eyes, Kouga had no choice but to drop his gaze. Standing before him, holding him helpless, was a true Alpha male. A leader of the pack. And although Kouga was a Beta, and not submissive by nature, the sheer force of Sesshoumaru's one hundred percent Alpha power had him looking to the side and averting his gaze. Shame burned hot on his tanned cheeks, spreading in a delicate blush to his neck. If only his pack could see him now, cowed and subdued by an Alpha male.

"I asked you a question, wolf." Sesshoumaru growled, his hand reflexively tightening around the abused wolf prince's throat, grounding his point home.

"When this Sesshoumaru asks you a question, you will respond to it."

Shame and fury warred deep within Kouga's chest at the taiyoukai's words. The electric power, a force Kouga had not felt since his own father's passing, of an Alpha male giving an order sparked between their connected bodies. There was such a thing called pack magic, an indescribable force of nature that kept packs together and in line. This source sprung from the Alpha males of the pack, connecting them through blood to the submissive wolves. A truly powerful Alpha could use that power to call to him his pack and, regardless of what they were doing, the rest of the pack would be forced to heed that call. A power such as that was rare, and the few packs blessed enough to have it were extremely powerful. Because that pack magic, that bond, worked both ways. An Alpha could call to his pack, even if they were miles away, and a submissive wolf could use that same line of connection to call to his Alpha if he were hurt or in danger. Not only did it work as a useful communication device, especially in times of war, but it could also be used to heal or calm. An Alpha could siphon off his own strength and energy and send it to his wolves. The larger the pack, the more powerful that bond was. Kouga himself had never before experienced that kind of power and so he fell helpless against it. As much as he loathed the thought of Sesshoumaru as his Alpha, the mark that labeled him as Sesshoumaru's property also bound him to Sesshoumaru as his pack. And, with an Alpha like the taiyoukai, Kouga was given little choice but to respond to such a powerful command.

"Yes. I understand." he finally managed to grind out between clenched teeth.

"Very good, wolf." Sesshoumaru said, apparently satisfied with Kouga's display of submission. He released his grip on Kouga slowly and turned away. Only when his back was turned did that overwhelming power leech away. It left Kouga breathless and shaking. With partially numbed fingers he pulled the haori over his water slicked body. Sesshoumaru was a considerably taller male than Kouga, and his haori hit Kouga about mid thigh. He knew that he must look slightly ridiculous, like a little pup playing dress-up.

Shivering from the cold, and uneasiness, Kouga almost didn't hear Sesshoumaru's demand.

"Come."

Gritting his teeth, Kouga forced his aching body to follow in the dog demon's wake. They walked out of the bathing chamber, and into a considerably cooler hallway. As the cool air of the drafty castle halls kissed his bare skin, Kouga was instantly glad he was wearing Sesshoumaru's haori. Even with it on he was shivering and cold. The thought of returning to his significantly colder, damp, cell sent his heart dropping to his stomach. Misery swam up his throat and stuck there as he forced his tired, aching, body to follow the tai youkai. At least he would have Sesshoumaru's haori t keep him warm, he thought wryly. That is, if the bastard didn't take it back. Kouga wouldn't put it past him.

"Pick up the pace, wolf." Sesshoumaru called to him from down the stone hallway. "I grow weary of waiting for you."

Kouga growled under his breath, anger beating fresh through his system. Did Sesshoumaru have any idea how much energy he was expending to even stand? Kouga hobbled his way down the hall, looking for all the world like a hunched and crippled old man. His entire body protested the pack Sesshoumaru was setting as he led him through the maze that was the taiyoukai's fortress.

Focusing solely on tryin to keep up with the arrogant sack of shit, Kouga had little time to memorize the route they were taking, let alone his surroundings. He was missing out on valuable information that someday might aid in his escape. Cursing softly under his breath, Kouga pushed himself to go on. He was railing against his situation, cursing the fates and their twisted sense of humor, and insulting Sesshoumaru's heritage, when he ran into a particularly hard wall.

He staggered backwards on his feet, the sight almost comical, and looked up as the wall that was Sesshoumaru grabbed hold of his flailing arm and jerked him upright.

"Idiot wolf," He heard Sesshoumaru mumble hotly, his grip merciless on Kouga's bicep.

Like a parent with a wayward child, Sesshoumaru opened the door he had previously been standing in front of and dragged Kouga through it.

Shock infiltrated Kouga's already shaky system as he stepped through the doorway.

A large, opulent, chamber met his questing gaze. Wide warm furs were scattered about the cold stone floors of the chamber. Against the far wall on a raised dais was a bed, the size of which Kouga had never seen before. It was large enough that a changed demon might be able to comfortably sleep on its fur bedecked surface. Mounds of furs were piled onto the large bed, in a variety of shapes and colors.

Artwork, intricately drawn and painted, hung in gilt frames from the walls. All of them, Kouga couldn't help but notice, depicted a battle scene of some sort.

As his gaze scanned the room, his nose picked up on an undeniable fact...this was Lord Sesshoumaru's sleeping chambers. It took a second or two, but terror struck Kouga's body so strongly that his knees knocked together and he almost lost his footing.

Why would the bastard bring him here? Unless...unless he wanted-

Kouga jerked in Sesshoumaru's hold, trying to wrench his arm free of that iron grip. With his fangs bared and a mixture of outraged fury and panic in his eyes, Kouga snarled and snapped. So this was what the bastard had planned all along! He had waited until Kouga was as weak as a new born pup to drag him out of the damn hole he dared to call a cell only to...only to...

His mind had trouble processing the word and the deed that seemed so unfathomable.

Sesshoumaru turned to him then, impatience mixed with disgust.

"You will cease your growling, little wolf. Honestly, use that pea sized brain on yours and think for a moment. Do you truly believe that this Sesshoumaru would lower himself enough to sleep with a worthless mongrel such as yourself? Come, and do not struggle, else you will be punished."

Punished? Mongrel? God damn it all to hell and back, he wasn't worthless and he was sure as shit sick of Sesshoumaru talking down to him as if he were a child.

Kouga dug in his feet, a snarl curling on his lips as his tail lashed furiously behind him. Worthless huh? Kouga'd show him worthless, right as he was ripping out the bastard's thrice damned throat! When Sesshoumaru turned back toward him, his golden eyes snapping daggers, that's when Kouga attacked.

Drawing from a pitifully dry well of energy, he leapt toward the bastard who had kept him prisoner here for close to a month. He leapt, fangs bared and hands curled into fists at the demon who had done nothing but beat and ridicule him, smirking as he suffered. His rage gave him power, fed his hatred.

Sesshoumaru barely had time to react to Kouga's attack. He ducked, but not quickly enough from the wolf prince who once ran as fast as the wind. Kouga's blow glanced off of Sesshoumaru's jaw as the tai youkai evaded the fist intended for his midsection. It continued on for some time, Kouga attacking Sesshoumaru, snarling and leaping, trying to land a blow, while Sesshoumaru steadily evaded his attacks.

"F-Fuck you ya bastard!" Kouga choked minutes later as he collapsed weakly to his knees.

"I'm not worthless, I'm not..."he hunched over, his body sore and feverish as his breath came fast in his chest. He was so angry! And yet he was powerless against Sesshoumaru, reduced to a weakened lump of skin and bones on the floor.

"F-Fuck you. I don't care what you think." he snarled as Sesshoumaru approached him with a fluid sort of grace. "I don't give a shit what you do to me."

Those words couldn't be farther from the truth. And as Sesshoumaru bent down and picked up the spent wolf prince, misery swam thick and heavy through Kouga's veins.

He said nothing as Sesshoumaru carried him, cradled like an infant, to the bed and easily set him down. He closed his eyes as he heard the thickly wet sound of Sesshoumaru's water logged pants hitting the floor. When the bed dipped next to him, Kouga's breath caught in his chest, trapped there like a living thing.

He felt, more than sensed, the candles in the room being gutted. And when he felt the hot press of Sesshoumaru's body against his backside, only the smallest whimper escaped past his lips.

Kouga startled as warm furs were pulled over him. He blinked, his eyes searching the now darkened room for a hint of the bastards next move. A pale, strong, arm wrapped itself tightly around his middle, pulling the wolf prince back against a large, warm, chest.

Between the furs, and Sesshoumaru's large form, Kouga's muscles relaxed despite his mental protests.

"Are you...are you gonna'..." his voice sounded small and frightened to his own ears, and Kouga winced visibly at the sound. He was helpless if the taiyokai chose to take him now. There would be little he could do to stop Sesshoumaru from turning him over and mounting him. Shame, embarrassment, and a sort of helpless fury choked him then. Stopped him from completing that question. His father had been right. Sesshoumaru had been right. He was weak and worthless. If the Lord of the West decided to take him like a bitch, he deserved it. All of that and more. If he was too weak to defend himself to defend his pack, then he deserved whatever happened to him.

"You will cease your rambling, Kouga, and sleep now." Sesshoumaru growled against the nape of his neck. "I have no intention of mating with you. You are weakened and will fall gravely ill if you do not rest. I will personally deal with your insolence on the morrow."

Kouga's body relaxed against Sesshoumaru's large one. He didn't trust the bastard but really, what choice did he have? Too exhausted both mentally and physically, the wolf prince slipped into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Little did he know that while he slept, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western lands, watched protectively over him. As he had once told Kouga before, no one harmed what was his.

Okay. That took four hours to type up, not including the time it actually took me to write it (two days). So if you liked it, cool! That's great! REVIEW. And if you thought it was boring, repeatitive or just plain blah, let me know that too. Maybe you have some questions...there are a few things in this story that have gone unanswered so far. Like... why does Sesshoumaru have two arms? What was the familiar scent Kouga smelt in the springs? How is it possible that two hundred years after the death of Naraku...a certain someone comes back occasionally to visit?

A Hrmmmm.

Well, all those questions will be answered in due time. Some sooner than others. XP


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Kouga awoke disoriented and confused. His body, which had once been a series of aches and bruises felt both soft and languid beneath the warmth of the silky furs piled on top of him. A yawn (of the rare jaw cracking variety) spilled out of his mouth as he stretched beneath the blankets, his feet searching for a cool spot on the bed. He opened his sleep fogged eyes slowly, and saw the soft glow of afternoon sunlight dancing through the opened window and frolicking across the floors and walls. A soft breeze fluttered the wide, swathy, draperies and stirred the dust motes in the air until it seemed that they, too, danced.

He did a mental check of his body. It had been years since he had felt this fully rested. Content even. His muscles felt blissfully loose and relaxed and for the first time in almost a month his head felt clear and his thoughts sharp.

But where was he?

It took him a moment to register, where, exactly that he was and what had happened before he had fallen asleep. Like a light switch suddenly being thrown on, Kouga jolted upright in bed with wide unseeing eyes.

He was in Sesshoumaru's chambers. Sleeping like a babe in the bastard's too large and far too comfortable bed. With frenzied movements he flung the furs off of his body and swung his legs over the bed. Looking down, he realized he was still wearing Sesshoumaru's haori. The dog demon's scent now clung thickly to his skin.

Kouga was half tempted to strip the offending garment from his body, but contemplated the wisdom of such an act. He had no other clothing than what he was wearing now, and though he adamantly wanted nothing of Sesshoumaru's to so much as brush against his skin, wearing the damn haori was better than wearing nothing at all. With a growl he pushed himself free of the bed, feeling stronger than he had in quite some time. When his feet touched the downy softness of the large firs that served as rugs, Kouga couldn't help but wiggle his toes.

Slowly but steadily he got to his feet. Despite all the wonders that a good night's rest had given him, Kouga still protested the sudden movement. He let out a growl of frustration, swiping a hand through his long unbound hair. He startled at the soft, silken, feel of it. His fingers slid easily through the black waves, and brought with it that same familiar scent.

What in the hell?

Kouga did not have the time to contemplate the smell. He had to get out of this damn room that reeked like Sesshoumaru. He had to escape.

And go where?

The question, rising up like a ghost from his subconscious stopped him in his tracks. Where would he go? Back to his pack? Kouga couldn't imagine how such a re-union would go. If he did manage to make it out of the Western lands and into safer territory, what could he possibly be expecting? His scent, he knew, would be newly changed. The mark Sesshoumaru had given him would see to that. And his pack…they would know. They would be able to smell the truth he had been trying to keep from them for so long. They would smell his shame. He fervently hoped that it wouldn't matter to them. After all, had he not been looking out for them all this time? How many times had he placed their wellbeing before his own? He had sacrificed for them, bled for them, and had done the best damn job he'd been able to do. Who cared if he wasn't an Alpha? He was still their goddamned brother, bound to them through blood. Whatever fate awaited him when he saw his brothers again it would be, by far, a better one than continuing here as he was.

A captive of Sesshoumaru.

Speaking of which…where had the fluffy bastard gone off to?

Kouga scoped out the chamber, making sure Sesshoumaru wasn't going to suddenly pop out of nowhere and beat him into the ground. A niggling worm of doubt and unease squirmed though him. What was going on with the Lord of the West? First he had taken him prisoner, beaten him relentlessly for running his mouth. Deprived him of all creature comforts including food, water, clothing and bedding. And then? The bi-polar piece of shit had given him a bath, saved him from drowning, clothed him and all but tucked him into bed.

It was damnably strange and completely at odds with what Kouga knew to be in Sesshoumaru's character. What was going on with him? What did he care if Kouga lived or died? After all, the only purpose Kouga had in this fortress was to be punished for a crime he didn't even commit.

Ridiculous, that was what it was. Not to mention confusing as all hell.

It didn't really matter, Kouga thought with a fierce frown. Regardless of how dog breath had been acting, that bastard was still his enemy. Shaking off those troubling thoughts, Kouga made his way toward the door. He wasn't going to waste time by wondering about Sesshoumaru's sudden change in behavior- he needed to get the hell out of here.

If there were repercussions from his pack mates, he'd deal with them when the situation arouse. After all, worrying about the future did little to help him with the present. He crossed the room fairly easily, navigating his way across the furred carpet and ignoring the familiar sense of dread that was clawing at his guts.

He took a deep breath as he reached the door.

"Here we go." He mumbled, his hand turning the knob as he gave the door a sharp jerk. It, unsurprisingly, didn't budge.

Fuck. Go figure. Sesshoumaru had locked him in. With a soft curse under his breath, Kouga turned to survey the rest of the room. A smug smirk curled on his lips as he gaze fell upon the opened window. The golden sunlight spilling through the window tasted like freedom on his tongue. Did Sesshoumaru really think that a locked door would stop this wolf prince from finding a way out?

Kouga made his way toward the windows, determination and satisfaction spiraling through him. Through that open portal Kouga could make out the forest in the distance. And as another gentle breeze stirred the gauzy draperies, it carried with it the happy chatter of bird song.

Kouga looked out the window and down, a sigh working its way past his lips. He must be on the third floor of the stone fortress. The drop alone wasn't that bad, Kouga had survived worse. What complicated matters was the fact that Sesshoumaru had placed sharp, jagged, rocks at the base of his fortress. If Kouga fell on to one of those fuckers, he'd either get impaled or break every bone in his body.

Great. Terrific.

But still… Kouga couldn't just let an opportunity like this pass. Perhaps…perhaps he could make the leap. If he jumped wide enough he'd soar right over the boulders and hit the cushion of grass on the other side. The impact wouldn't tickle but…he had to take the chance. Sure, it was slightly suicidal. Brash. Reckless. But what other choice did he have?

"I wouldn't contemplate it, if I were you." Sesshoumaru said smoothly, his breath fanning gently against the nape of Kouga's neck.

Kouga couldn't help the surprised yip that escaped hin as he all but jumped out of his skin.

"For the love of- you shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" Kouga snarled, whipping around to face Sesshoumaru. Somehow the dog demon had managed to slip into the room and waltz right up behind him so silently he hadn't even noticed. It was damned creepy.

"And miss your suicidal attempts at fleeing? I think not."

A flush rose to Kouga's tanned cheeks. Why was it that he also felt like a child caught with their hand in the sweets jar whenever he was around this bastard?

"I see you are feeling better." Sesshoumaru stated dryly, as if commenting on the weather.

"Yeah, I'm just right and dandy."

Kouga cast another longing look over his shoulder. "I totally could have made that." He grumbled under his breath.

"I assure you that you could not." Sesshoumar replied easily, only the slightest hint of mockery in his tone.

Kouga gritted his teeth to hold in the biting retort he wanted to let fly. He had no desire to fall victim to one of Sesshoumaru's beatings, not when he hadn't ully regained his strength yet. A deep, rumbling, growl filled the room then. Kouga was startled to find that the sound acutally came from himself, or thater, his stomach to be precise. How long had it been since he had eaten? Four, maybe five days? It was that thought that spurred the gnawing hunger in his belly. Once again causing another blush to rise to his cheeks.

Sesshoumaru merely arched an aristocratic brow, his eyes cool and assessing as they swept Kouga's form from head to toe.

"When was the last time you took sustenance wolf?"

Kouga bared his fangs in irritation, his eyes narrowing into angry slits. As if the bastard didn't know!

"I suppose it was the last time you deemed it appropriate to give me food." He said, his voice low and gravelly.

Sesshoumaru's face turned into a mask of displeasure.

"You have not eaten in six days?"

Six! How long had he been asleep for?

His shock must have shown on his face, for Sesshoumaru inclined his head with a grave nod. "You were not well, Wolf. You slept for two days to restore the energy the fever burned from your body."

Holy-cow. Two days. Kouga couldn't remember the last time he had slept so long, or even if he ever had. He stared at Sesshoumaru with a suspicious gleam in his eye. Had fluffy mentioned a fever?

"It is of no import. This Sesshoumaru has brought you food, which you will eat. All of it."

Kouga sneered at the other demon's commanding tone. "Did you poison it or something?" Kouga couldn't help but to growl the words. Sesshoumaru was acting…well, strange. If Kouga didn't know any better, he would have said that Sesshoumaru was…mothering him.

"This Sesshoumaru has no desire to have a dead wolf in his fortress. You will eat the food and more later. Despite the fact that you are up and about, you are still remarkably weak. Can you not even sense your own body's needs? Are you that dense?" Sesshoumaru said, his tone derisive.

"I think I've got a better sense of what I do and do not need, Dog Breath." Kouga bristled as he edged away from Sesshoumaru and closer to the door. Being in here with the tai youkai was making him more than a little uncomfortable. Especially considering the bastard was acting all freaky. As if he cared whether or not Kouga lived or died.

"Watch your tongue, wolf." Sesshoumaru cautioned, his face set into that same impassive mask he always seemed to wear. "You will find your meal on the table beside the bed."

Kouga's stomach felt like it was full of jagged pieces of broken glass. Without meaning to, his eyes sought out the table that Sesshoumaru spoke of. There, by the bed sat a platter heaped with bread, cheese and what smelled tantalizingly like stew. It was the finest meal he had ever been served during his imprisonment here.

But why?

"What are you playing at Sesshoumaru? Why bring me food? Allow me rest? You could have just let me die. Ain't that what you want anyway? Your grand revenge?" Kouga growled the accusation with frustration. He didn't understand what was going on here, what the cause of Sesshoumaru's sudden change of heart was.

"It is not your death I seek, wolf." Sesshoumaru replied in a tone of voice that gave no hint of his true feelings or intentions. "Eat." He commanded, moments later when Kouga stood, torn between the urge to throw that delicious looking platter straight into Sesshoumaru's face or cram all of it into his mouth.

His stomach felt tight with hunger and nerves. He wanted to eat the food, he did, but he just didn't trust Sesshoumaru. The bastard was staring at him, a tic developing in his jaw as impatience set in. Kouga didn't know what to do.

"You have two choices, runt." Sesshoumaru cut into his thoughts. "You can either eat the food of your own free will or I will tie you down and feed it to you."

O-kaaaaay. So there went that decision. Keeping his eyes on Sesshoumaru, Kouga edged his way to the other side of the room toward the platter of food. As he neared, the thick wheaty scent of bread mixed with the sharp tang of aged cheese reached his nose and hit him like a fist to the stomach. Saliva began to build in his mouth as he stared down at the platter that was both fresh and inviting. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his jaw working furiously to tear into the soft, yeasty bread and the sharp flavorful cheeses. The stew, which consisted of a beef broth and some savory chunks of meat and vegetables, went down his gullet in no time flat. His cheeks stretched and bulged as he shoveled the food in his mouth, while he fed the beast that was roaring in his stomach. In no time at all Kouga had cleaned every crumb from the platter, his stomach full for the first time in a long while.

Slowly, he blinked sated eyes and glanced up to see Sesshoumaru's impassive face. The dog demon had watched him eat.

"You are full." The demon lord said, more of a statement than a question.

"Yup."

"And you are feeling stronger? Well?" He queried again, in the same tone of voice.

"Yup."

"That is good, wolf. Very good."

One minute Sesshoumaru had been standing across the other side of the room, a contemplative gleam in his eyes. In the next, he was beside Kouga, a humorless smirk twisting across his hard mouth.

Kouga, for the record, tried to dodge the attack. He had leapt off the bed, only to be jerked backward by Sesshoumaru's large, fluffy…what the hell was that thing anyway? Whatever it was, the white piece of fluff wrapped around his middle, pinning his arms to his sides as it flung him backwards onto the bed where Sesshoumaru sat, patiently waiting.

"What the hell! Let me go!" Kouga howled, jerking in the silky soft restraint. He bared his fangs and snarled as he struggled to sit up on the bed and put some distance between himself and Lord Sesshoumaru. He had no such luck. With an ease born of much practice, Sesshoumaru used his wrap to steadily draw a cursing Kouga over toward him. Kouga snarled his fury, anger beating heavily in his chest as he landed face down on the bed, his cheek pressed against the dog demon's silk clad thigh. Heat warmed his cheeks at the feel of Sesshoumaru's hard, lean, muscles wrapped in silk beneath him. He struggled, trying to disengage the piece of fluff that held him helpless against Sesshoumaru.

A warm, graceful hand was placed lightly on Kouga's head, brushing back the hair that had fallen into his eyes with a tenderness that was oddly deceptive.

"Now, Wolf, it is time for your punishment. You did not heed this Seshoumaru's warnings, and your manner is disrespectful. This Sesshoumaru does not tolerate disrespect, and he does not make idle threats. I told you what would happen if you dared to disobey me. And, as you are feeling stronger today, now it is time to mete out your punishment."

Kouga swallowed thickly. What was the bastard going to do to him? He should've known that this was going to happen! Simple kindness just wasn't in the prick's nature.

"So what are you do, huh?" Kouga growled. "Beat me while I'm bound? Maybe drive your poisoned claws through my heart again? I ain't afraid of you! Theres nothing you can do to me that hasn't already been done!"

Sesshoumaru sighed, shaking his head. "If you cease running your mouth, pup, this will go by much faster." Sesshoumaru said as he pulled Kouga's writhing body face down over his lap. Kouga snarled into the furs on the bed, legs kicking and body squirming as he fought to be free of the fluff that bound his arms to his sides. Panic flared in his chest while memories of the other night rose like phantoms in his mind. It was then that Sesshoumaru's words came back to him.

He wasn't really going to ….

Was he?

Kouga yipped when Sesshoumaru's arm captured his legs and held them down while the other went to Kouga's borrowed haori. When cool air kissed the skin of his newly exposed backside, Kouga let out a piercing howl.

"What the fuck are you doing! What is this shit!" Kouga roared, flailing vainly on Sesshoumaru's lap. Sesshoumaru ignored him, pinning the wiggling wolf easily down across his lap. Kouga tried to rear up, to buck himself off of Sesshoumaru, but the wrap that bound his arms also pressed his torso down on to the bed.

"This Sesshoumaru warned you Kouga, of what would become of you if you were to disobey my orders." Sesshoumaru's wide, warm, hand settled gently on Kouga's backside, causing the wolf in question to flinch.

"For every lash you receive, I will tell you what you have done to deserve it. In the future, this may help you to… avoid such punishments."

"Don't you fucking dare—" Kouga let out a yip as Sesshoumaru's hand collided with his derriere. Apparently the lord of the west wasn't pulling any punches today.

"For telling this Sesshoumaru what to do."

Smack.

"For addressing this Sesshoumaru in an unsatisfactory way. You will call me my Lord, or Lord Sesshoumaru from now on."

"I'll call you whatever the fuck-"

Smack.

"For disobeying a direct command."

Smack.

"For ruining a perfectly good pair of pants."

Smack.

"For being disrespectful.

Smack.

On and on it went, until Kouga's bottom throbbed and ached. He had no doubt that he would not be able to sit comfortably for days after this was over. At first he had shouted, had raged, had tried to get free. But Sesshoumaru's list of grievances was long, and after a time Kouga stopped fighting it. He was humiliated quite thoroughly. Put in his place by a demon that was stronger, older, and more Alpha than he was.

Kouga grit his teeth to keep from calling out, holding back the groans of pain that built in his chest. Quite some time had passed, and yet still Sesshoumaru brought his hand down on Kouga's aching backside.

"For daring to attack this Sesshoumaru."

The dog demon had put some extra force into that one, and Kouga could not help the pained whine that escaped him.

"You will never attack me again, runt. Ten lashes for this offense, fifty for the next time you try it."

"Hey! Cut it ou—ch!"

"Two more lashes for telling this Sesshoumaru what to do. We have already been over this wolf." Sesshoumaru replied easily, his hand slapping mercilessly against Kouga's bruised and reddened skin as he spoke.

Kouga but down hard on his lower lip. His ass was on fire! He swore he could feel the erratic beat of his heart pulsing angrily through it.

"And now, Kouga, you will apologize to your Alpha."

Kouga's breath froze in his chest. Sesshoumaru wasn't really going to make him….

Really?

"I will give you to the count of three, and then you will receive ten lashes. Each time you do not respond appropriately, this Sesshoumaru will add another ten lashes. Now apologize wolf."

Shame and humiliation warred within him, clogging his throat and shriveling his tongue. He had been face down on Sesshoumaru's lap for a good half an hour now. His back side felt raw and angry, and he wasn't entirely sure how much more of this he could take. The bastard wanted him to apologize, to break him down.

"Three." Sesshoumaru counted out loud, tearing away Kouga's window of opportunity before he continued his spanking.

Kouga howled, angry and frustrated. He wanted Sesshoumaru to stop, but he refused to beg. He couldn't…he wouldn't….

"Second chance wolf. Do you have something you'd like to say to this Sesshoumaru?"

"Yeah, " Kouga growled, his eyes clenched tightly shut. "Go fuck yoursel-" his words were broken off by a howl of pain.

"I will add ten more for disrespect. Bite your tongue wolf, for I am more than capable of doing this all day if need be."

Oh gods it wasn't fair! And it hurt like hell too! Kouga whimpered under the onslaught of his abused bottom. He would bruise, he knew with certainty. And the only way to stop it was to…

It was a half an hour later when Kouga finally cracked.

"Alright! Fine! I'm sorry!" He shouted into the bed, embarrassment turning his tanned cheeks a dusky pink.

Kouga could hear the satisfaction that sounded suspiciously smug and devious in Sesshoumaru's voice when he replied.

"And what, wolf, are you sorry for?"

Kouga growled through clenched teeth, too sore to dare another reprimand.

"I am sorry for being disrespectful, and calling you dog breath, shit head, mongrel, prick-face, son of a cow's udder, fuck face, shit-sniffer-"

"You did not call this Sesshoumaru half of those names." The dog demon said tightly.

"Oh, well then." Kouga said with a satisfied grin that was hidden in the furs on the bed. "I'm sorry I THOUGHT all those things about you."

"Wolf." Sesshoumaru warned.

Kouga let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm sorry for attacking you and ruining your pants."

"Is that all?"

Now why did that sound like a trick question?

"I, uh, think so. Yup, that about covers it."

SMACK!

The force of the blow had Kouga yowling and spittng.

"What the fuck was that for! I apologized!"

"Indeed. But I have told you how to address me and yet…"

Was he serious?

"You have three seconds, Kouga, to amend your answer. And then we shall begin anew."

Through clenched teeth and cheeks burning with humiliation, Kouga responded.

"I am sorry…my Lord."

"Very good wolf. For now on I shall keep a running tally of your indiscretions. For every instance you disobey or disrespect this Sesshoumaru, this is where you will end up." Sesshoumaru's hand smoothed over Kouga's abused flesh with a deceptive gentleness. "You will learn, wolf, one way or another who is in charge here. I am your Alpha, and I will get the respect that I deserve. And you, wolf, will learn what it means to be a Beta. But first we must break you of your…tendencies."

Kouga clamped his mouth shut, the urge to protest the number of indignities heaped upon him, despite his vulnerable position was strong.

"Do you understand me?"

"Yes." Kouga spat.

"Wolf."

He breathed a deep sigh, and though a small piece of him broke inside at the words, Kouga replied "Yes…my Lord."


	4. Chapter 4

It had been three days now, Kouga thought on a growl, since that humiliating incident with Sesshoumaru. Three days that he had been confined in the bastard's chambers, his hands bound to the bed to keep him from trying to escape. Sesshoumaru had been giving him three meals a day since then, standing beside him while he ate. Only once had Kouga tried to deny the food, sick of Sesshoumaru and his ridiculously domineering ways. That hadn't ended too well for the wolf prince. Sesshoumaru had quickly rebound his hands and force fed him the meal that he had tried to refuse. To make matters worse, later that night Sesshoumaru had hauled a cursing Kouga over his lap and given him the spanking of a life time.

Kouga's backside still burned from the altercation, and he shifted uncomfortably on the bed. The bed which Sesshoumaru too slept in. Every. Night. Heat burned Kouga's cheeks at the memories of his nights here. Sesshoumaru would come into the room as the light faded from the skies, and douse the candles. He would ignore Kouga's stiff, furious, body as he made his way on to the bed. And every night, four nights running, he would pull a still furious Kouga into his arms and command the wayward wolf to sleep.

As if Kouga could sleep with that bastard at his back! Though, if he were to be truthful, Kuga had never slept so well in his life. It bothered Kouga on a very deep level. It was damnably strange and it made his skin crawl and itch at the same time. He shouldn't feel so goddamned rested and content in his enemy's arms. After all, the bastard had already killed him once, and then left him on the edge of death. Who cared if it was Sesshoumaru that had nursed him back to health? It was the taiyoukai's fault that he had been in such straits to begin with!

Kouga sure as shit didn't owe Sesshoumaru a thing. Not for the death of his precious ward, and not for reviving him either. Kouga was in a melancholy mood, his spirits low and his heart heavy. He wanted to go back to his pack mates, he worried over them furiously, wondering how they were all faring.

Was the bear tribe from the east of their mountain home giving them trouble again? Perhaps the boor tribe to the south? Without Kouga there to protect them, to lead them…

And what irked his girk the most was the fact that Sesshoumaru had been remarkably absent since he had delivered Kouga his breakfast this morning. It wasn't as if Sesshoumaru was prone to randomly coming in and chatting it up with him, but the bastard did occasionally poke his head into the room to make sure Kouga was still there, and sometimes to ask if he needed to relieve himself. It had been hours since Kouga had seen Sesshoumaru last, and it was making the wolf prince edgy. What was he doing? Where had he gone?

Kouga tugged halfheartedly on the manacles that bound his hands to the bed. They allowed Kouga little freedom to move about, and when he tried, they bit sharply into his flesh. Damnit all! Where was that bastard!?

Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, stared down at the rambunctious youth before him. The boy's copper hair glinted in the sunlight that spilled through the wide windows in his study. Green eyes that usually sparkled with mischief were studying him with a seriousness that he hadn't thought the whelp capable of.

"Look, Sesshoumaru," the boy said calmly, hands propped on his lean hips. "I know he's here. I can smell him on you. Heck, I even tracked his scent all the way from the North to your land. His pack is worried about him; they're roaming the countryside looking for him. So my question is, why the he-" he stopped mid-sentence as Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, I was just wondering why he was here. Of all places. With you." He paused, and that familiar glint of mischief again sparkled in his eyes. "Of all people." He finished.

"He is mine now." Sesshoumaru replied easily, much to the confusion of the boy he stood so comfortably in his presence. "I will return him to his pack when I see fit, boy, and not a second sooner."

The boy in question harrumphed, strong arms crossed over a whipcord lean chest.

"Yours?" he questioned, arching a delicate eyebrow. "Kouga is an Alpha, Sesshoumaru. He cant possibly be anyone's but his own."

"Kouga is not an Alpha, as he leads everyone to believe. He's a Beta, and he now belongs to me. That is, until I see fit to release him."

Green eyes widened in shock.

"A Beta?! You gotta be shittin' me!" A laugh gurgled up from the boy's stomach as a grin tugged on his lips.

"Holy crap!" he continued when Sesshoumaru did not reply. "Well, I guess that explains a lot. But still…wow. Hey," a sudden suspicion crept into his voice.

"You ain't hurting him, are you?"

"Ain't is not a word, boy. I have told you this many times now."

The whelp shrugged his shoulders, a smile still pulling at his lips.

"What can I say? Old habits die hard."

"Two hundred and fifty is not old, boy. It is, in fact, remarkably young."

"What's got you all growly?" the boy retorted, an eyebrow raised in question. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I Know you're not the hugs and kisses type but…"

"Boy." Sesshoumaru warned.

"What? I'm just saying." He glanced around the room.

"Where is Kouga anyway? You're not keeping him in the dungeons are you?"

Sesshoumaru growled softly. The lad's impertinence was irritating. It reminded him too much of his bothersome younger brother. Which, of course, was where the boy had learned a good majority of his grammatical errors.

"Kouga is not currently in my dungeons." Sesshoumaru finally responded, watching as the boy walked over and flopped himself down comfortably in Sesshoumaru's favorite chair.

"So why are you holding him here then?"

"He allowed his wolves to kill my ward. It is high time he was punished for his lack of- get your feet off my table whelp!"

The boy's feet dropped to the ground with an audible thump.

"My bad." He said on a smile. His use of language was disturbing, and in it Sesshoumaru could clearly see the influences of his foster parents.

"You know, the last time I checked Rin had led a long and fruitful life. Didn't she end up marrying that black smith?"

Sesshoumaru growled.

"Yeah! She did! That's right. Hori was his name. And they had…what? Five kids?"

Sesshoumaru merely stared at the boy who was growing increasingly irritating.

"Oh, and she named her first born after you, didn't she?"

"Your point, boy."

"My point is" he said, sitting up straight in his chair and fixing Sesshoumaru with a pointed stare. "that this isn't gonna' bring Rin back. There's no point to it. Rin was never traumatized from it, and if she hadn't died that day, she would have never become your ward."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes as a familiar pain stabbed through his heart. Nor that he would ever let it show. The boy was right. Rin had lived a full and happy life. She had been gone for many years now, and still Sesshoumaru watched over her descendants in the village not far from his lands. Sesshoumaru would never admit to missing his human ward, despite the pain that ached in his heart every eve of her death.

"It is too late now, boy. What is done cannot be undone."

The boy shrugged his slight shoulders.

"You could let him go." He said simply, as if it were the easiest of all possible solutions.

"I cannot." Sesshoumaru ground out between gritted teeth, his patience with the boy wavering.

"Uh, I'm pretty sure you can." He countered.

The boy was irritating! He had no concept of what Sesshoumaru had done to both Kouga and himself. Inwardly he seethed. It would have been so much easier to kill the pest of a wolf than to suffer through this. If Sesshoumaru had known what was going to happen, he would never have marked the brash and irksome wolf prince in the first place.

What was intended as a humiliating punishment had developed into something far more complex than Sesshoumaru had originally expected. When placing a mark upon another demon or human, there was usually no side effect. It became a simple way to stake a claim of ownership on another living being. Unfortunately his mark had conceived some…troublesome effects.

Sesshoumaru could actually feel the wolf in his mind. Such a connection was extremely rare and highly sought after by many demons. The halfbreed had such a connection with his mate, Sesshoumaru knew. And the two of them would often slip into some sort of silent communication that either resulted in a fiery blush or a slap and shooting match. It appeared, however, that his connection with Kouga was purely one sided. The wolf was not aware of his thoughts or his feelings. Which, in itself, was a blessing in disguise. And although Sesshoumaru viewed this marking with distaste, it was something that most demons treasured.

Soul mates. A bond so deep that the two souls touch, know each other. Sesshoumaru refused this notion. His bond with Kouga was viewed more as an irritant. Not a minute went by that the wolf prince wasn't terribly angry, raging, or ready to kill. And not only could Sesshoumaru sense the wolf's emotions, but he could also feel the wolf's needs.

Sesshoumaru would never forget the putrid, sickly feeling of a raging fever. The night that he took the wolf prince out of the dungeons and brought him to his chambers was the first time he had felt the connection. Kouga had been on the edge of death, his body and his soul crying out so loud that Sesshoumaru had been forced to listen. He had never intended for the wolf to fall victim to fever. To hurt? Yes. To suffer? Most definitely. But to die? No.

He allowed the wolf to think that he had purposefully left him down in the dungeons with no food and no water. It was not, however, the case. Sesshoumaru had left his fortress to patrol his borders, something that took several days to accomplish. He had left specific instructions with his underling, Jaken, to feed and water the wolf in his absence. It appeared, however, that Lord Sesshoumaru was not the only one who knew how to nurse a grudge. Jaken had not stepped one foot inside those dungeons, the admission coming from his own beak like lips.

Despite his ill treatment and cavalier attitude towards Rin as a child, it appeared the toad had grown secretly fond of her over the years. When she had been alive, the toad would often visit her and her offspring under the guise of making sure she was "behaving in a fashion that would bring honor to Lord Sesshoumaru". That he often stayed for days at a time, hurrying about her home and chastising her children (quite the rambunctious group) went unspoken and unnoticed. Jaken, his rather annoying servant for several years now, would never admit that he had loved and cared for a human. In that respect, Sesshoumaru supposed they were alike.

"I have marked him, boy. He is bound to me and now my responsibility." Sesshoumaru finally answered. "How he has managed to stay alive thus far is beyond me."

The boy in question snorted, rolling his eyes in a way that set Sesshoumaru's teeth on edge.

"Kouga can handle himself, Lord Sesshoumaru. He has been taking care of his pack for years now. He has a responsibility to them, Alpha or not."

How little the boy knew. If Kouga had truly been putting his wellbeing first, or even second, he would not be acting the Alpha of his pack. The amount of stress it could trigger in a Beta wolf was unimaginable. They were peace keepers and drew their power from an inner calm that stemmed from their very souls. Acting as an Alpha temporarily was fine, but to do so for as long as Kouga had? It went against his true nature. Sesshoumaru's wolf had no idea who he truly was. His psyche was at war, torn between being an Alpha male and his true self. While Betas were not submissive by nature, neither were they leaders of the pack. By playing the role of Alpha for so long, Kouga could very well have damaged himself irrevocably. He would always be at war with himself, his soul never quite content, until he accepted his role.

Not that Sesshoumaru cared or had any remote feelings for the stubborn wolf prince. It was as he had told Kouga long ago; no one harmed what was his…even if it was Kouga himself doing the damage. Eventually the wolf would get his comeuppance, Sesshoumaru knew. Someday he would have to set his wolf free. But not until Kouga accepted his place in the world. Not until the war that raged in wolf was quieted, and his true nature was allowed to take precedence.

Sesshoumaru didn't know how long such a change would take, but he did know that Kouga wasn't leaving his sight until it happened. Then, and only then, would he release the wolf from captivity. And that was when Kouga would be most vulnerable. Not only would all know that the wolf was a true Beta, but they all would see who had made him that way, and to whom he belonged.

The wolf would suffer for his crimes. But not until Sesshoumaru was ready to allow him to do so.

"When he is ready, whelp, I will let him go. Now, is our business concluded here or do you have something more to-"

Sesshoumaru broke off; his eyes finally picking up on what he should have noticed when the boy first walked into the room.

A small, white, piece of paper poked out from the nape of the boy's neck. With a fierce growl, Sesshoumaru drew his sword and crossed the room. The boy's eyes widened as he let out a whispered "Fuck." He did not dodge Sesshoumaru's attack. Instead, Sesshoumaru's sword ran right through him, bisecting the boy's body so that he fell perfectly in two halves to the floor. Completely bloodless.

"That was my favorite shirt!" It was a macabre sight to see of the whelps lips moving, despite his new condition. Slowly, his body disintegrated. The trickster's spell and a torn, blue, haori was the only evidence left to prove that he had been here in the first place.

"Shippo!" Sesshoumaru bellowed, his voice carrying through the stone hallways of his fortress.

Shippo winced as he continued to creep silently up the stairs that led to the third floor. It appeared his doppleganger had been disposed of.

"Shit." He grumped beneath his breath as Sesshoumaru's growl reached his sensitive ears. It looked like that cat was out of the bag. Which seriously sliced into his time to find Kouga. And boy was Sesshoumaru gonna be ticked when he caught up with him. A smile curled on the kitsune's lips as he followed Kouga's scent down a long, dark, corridor.

It had been years since he had visited Uncle Sesshoumaru. Unfortunately for the dog demon, Shippo had learned a few more tricks since the last time he was here. He paused in front of a door, his ears picking up the sound of softly spoken curses and the rattling of chains. Without missing a beat, Shippo rapped twice on the door before flinging it open.

And although the reference would be lost on the wolf youkai who had never visited Kagome and Inuyasha in the twenty-first century, Shippo simply could not allow an opportunity like this one to pass when his eyes landed upon Kouga's shocked visage.

"Lucy, I'm hooooooooome."

.

.

.Hey guys it's been a while hasn't it? Sorry it took me so long to update this fic (I do have most of it written out already) but a lot has happened in a year. The last time I updated this fic was right before I found out I was pregnant (yay!) with my son. I was going through some stuff in the closet when I found my old notebooks. I started reading and well, hey- I just had to type up a bit of it. Let me know what you guys think of this chapter. I LIVE for reviews ^.^And, let's talk about how nifty these cover things are ^^ I come back a year later and every thing has changed! Also, just a head up…2 chapters from now we're going to get into some MA stuff. This fic was originally meant for Aff . net. And Its actually title is "Nobody's Bi**h But Mine. Fun Facts! Hope you guys all had a wonderful year XP


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Kouga stared hard at the youth who burst through the door, pearly whites flashing in a shit-eating grin. His copper hair was long and pulled back into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck. In human years he appeared to be nineteen years old, and just starting to grow into his long limbs and fill out a bit more. In a hundred years or so he would make for an impressive demon. It was the mischievous look in his long lashed green eyes, as well as a long white tipped fox tail, that allowed Kouga to recognize the scamp.

"Shippo? What are you doing here?"

Had Sesshoumaru taken the runt prisoner too? Or… a spark of hope flared in his chest. What if the kitsune was here to rescue him? Shippo shut the door quietly behind him, an impish sort of smirk on his lips.

"Sesshoumaru will be here in a minute, but I just wanted to check on you to make sure he wasn't torturing you or nothin'. You okay?"

Kouga jerked fiercely at the chains that bound him to the bed. The metallic clang rattled through the spacious chamber.

"Does it LOOK like I'm okay?!" Kouga growled impatiently.

Shippo cocked his head to the side, studying Kouga's prone form.

"Actually, the chains aside, it kinda looks like you are. Fine, that is."

Kouga sighed impatiently, his frustration mounting.

"Are you gonna let me out of these things or not, Shippo?"

The kitsune shoved his hands in his pockets as a rather sheepish look crossed his face.

"Well, when I first got here that's exactly what I was planning on doing. Your wolves asked me to find you, so…"

"So…what?" Kouga growled softly.

Shippo cleared his throat.

"Well, so I found you, I just, uh, wasn't aware that you were, uh, you see I-" he stammered. "I can't bust you out now that Sesshoumaru's claimed you."

"Why the hell not!?" Kouga shouted, feeling the hard bite of iron cutting into his skin as he struggled.

"Cuz' I'm not suicidal is why! Do you have any idea what Uncle Sess would do to me if I busted you out? I mean, if you were dyin' or somethin' well, that'd be a different story. But you look good. Healthy, even."

Kouga growled his frustration low in his throat. The kitsune could very well be his last chance at freedom, and the little punk was backing out on him. Not that he could blame the kid, no one wanted to make an enemy of Sesshoumaru. A sigh of defeat left him then, and he raised his burning colbalt gaze to Shippo's guilty eyes.

"Don't you dare tell my pack about…this." Kouga warned the fox demon. "When I am freed, I will tell them myself. Just let them know I am fine, and will be returning home shortly."

Shippo nodded his head. "Yeah, I can do that."

Shippo cocked his head to the side, his green eyes both curious and perceptive. "You know, I think he's right." He mumbled.

Kouga flashed his fangs in a snarl. "What the hell are you talking about runt?"

Shippo gave a sheepish shrug.

"Well…I can't help but notice…I mean, you look better…but you also smell better. Cleaner. You smell…right."

What the hell was that supposed to mean? What had Sesshoumaru said to the kitsune? Before Kouga could formulate a response to that particularly odd nugget of a comment, the door to the bed chamber burst open with a powerful crack. Both Kouga and Shippo flinched as wood splinters flew through the room.

"Oh, shit." Shippo squeaked, his eyes wide with a mixture of shock and fear. Kouga didn't blame the kid. Standing in the doorway to the master chamber was none other than Sesshoumaru himself. If that wasn't enough to incite terror into the heart of anyone, then the hot glowing red eyes and elongated fangs certainly would have done the trick.

"Shippo." The word came out hard as gravel, and sharp as cut glass.

The kitsune in question raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I-It's not what it looks like, I swear. I was uh, just leaving."

Sesshoumaru took a step into the room, and even Kouga swore he could feel the burn of the Tai youkai's anger threading through the room in waves. There was a righteous fury burning hot in Sesshoumaru's eyes. The last time Kouga had seen that look he had wound up with a pair of poisonous claws delved deep into his chest.

Shippo gulped as he began to back away from the threat of a barely controlled demon. He was, Kouga couldn't help but notice, putting more distance between himself and the bed. What had the kit done to deserve this rage? Was it the mere fact that he stood in the same room as Kouga? Or was it something else entirely?

"One reason, kitsune. Just one. Now." The words were short and halting; as if it pained the demon lord to even utter them.

"Uh...well…because…I was just leaving? And…we're kind of related? Imagine how awkward this is gonna make the family reunions. And…if you kill me, my blood will stain your rugs. Do you know how hard it is to get a bloodstain out of a carpet?"

Sesshoumaru took a menacing step toward the boy.

"Look! I'm sorry okay! I didn't even touch him!"

"Not good enough, boy." Just as it appeared that Sesshoumaru was getting ready to lunge, and Shippo was on the verge of wetting himself, a green brown blur streaked through the room.

"Milord! Milord!" the blob squealed in a rather high pitched and ear piercing wail that had every demon in the room wincing in pain.

"Not. Now. Jaken." Sesshoumaru growled in a tone that broke no argument.

Jaken? How was that slimy little kiss ass still alive?

"B-But Milord I must-"

"Jaken!" Sesshoumaru snarled, his blood red eyes never leaving Shippo's rapidly paling face.

"Now is not the time."

Shippo's eyes swept the room, landing on a rather bedraggled and panic stricken toad demon.

"You know what? I think there's never been a better time!" Shippo squeaked. "Go on Jaken, we're all ears!"

Sesshoumaru growled low in his throat as Jaken exploded into rapid fire chatter.

"The village Milord! It's under attack! Mountain Lion demons, slaughtering the humans. Rin's family-"

Sesshoumaru's head swiveled slowly towards his servant in that freeze frame sort of motion that only a predator can possess.

"What did you say?"

Jaken waved his arms in the air, his face stricken. It was then that Kouga noticed the soot and the blood that stained the lackey's simple robes.

"The Village is under attack Milord! They're killing everything in sight, burning it to the ground! I-I tried to get the children-"

One minute Sesshoumaru had been standing, posed to lunge at Shippo's throat, and in the next he was gone.

Silence filled the chamber, one so thick and poignant that Kouga swore he could hear the sound of his heart beating in his chest, the soft shocked whisper of his breath past his lips.

"Wow…that was close." Shippo mumbled, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. Talk about pissed off, he was getting ready to tear me a new one. I've never seen Uncle Sess so mad. Not even the time I dyed his tail hot pink with purple polka dots.

"Tail?"

"Boa, whatever the hell that thing is…"

"Hot pink?"

"I was young, and just learning my kitsune magic. I couldn't help myself."

"Are you suicidal?"

"Nope. Just rambunctious." Shippo flashed Kouga a cheeky grin. "Suicidal was telling him I did it because he was pretty."

How had Sesshoumaru not killed this kid? Kouga had to wonder. He was surprised that the boy was still standing. Shippo must have seen the question in Kouga's eyes, because he shrugged his slight shoulders with a nonchalance that only the truly young at heart could possess.

"I changed it back. And then spent three days in the dungeon for it. To be honest though, it was totally worth it. Sometimes Sess takes himself waaaaaay too seriously. Speaking of which, I better go help him. That village means a lot to him. I feel bad for the bastards who attacked it."

With a cheeky salute and a wink Shippo ran off, hot on the irate demon lord's tail.

"Great. Terrific." Kouga sighed, rattling that chains that bound him to the bed. His last shot at freedom had just bolted from the room, leaving him alone to his thoughts and helpless anger.

The putrid smell of blood mixed with the thick, almost acrid, smell of burnt flesh and wood smoke filled Sesshoumaru's nostrils even before he reached the small village. No more than two miles from his fortress, the village had been a peaceful place, nestled within the heart of his land. He had founded it not so long ago, when Rin had first met her mate. The village had been made up mainly of human refugees who had lost their homes and their families to the war of Naraku. That evil bastard had devastated the land, he and his demon army. No one had been safe from his lust for power and death, not even the humans, poor pathetic creatures that they were.

He still remembered the day his Rin came home, her face a mixture of delight and shy nerves.

"I've met someone, Sesshoumaru-sama."

He closed his eyes, remembering the sharp jab of pain that those words had brought him. He'd known that one day his ward would have to leave him, to go and live with her own kind. A part of him, however, had hoped that she would chose to stay with him. To allow him to protect he war, to care for her.

Who else would bring him bouquets of wild flowers? Who else would skip down the vast corridors of his home, singing in that high pure voice while his loyal (and excessively annoying servant) followed at her heels and berated her for it?

It had been a hard decision to make, to let his ward go. And though he had never admitted his feelings for her to any creature, not even his ward herself, Rin had known. When he had nodded his assent she had flown into his stiff arms and landed a soft, butterfly kiss upon his cheek.

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. For everything."

Of course had had looked into this Hori character. The man had been a poor blacksmith, living in nothing more than a hovel, in a village that had been all but decimated by Naraku's war. It was then that Sesshoumaru had decided to found Hollow Haven. After all, no ward of his was going to live in such dire conditions. Hori made his Rin happy, it was up to Sesshoumaru to make sure their life together was a comfortable one.

So he had created the village, sending out word to the humans in neighboring towns that they were welcome to dwell upon his land, under the protection of Sesshoumaru himself. The response had been enormous. Nearly two hundred humans had shown up on his doorstep, their clothes worn and stained, their faced dirt streaked and weary. But it was their eyes that had gotten to him. From toddlers to old men and women, their eyes had told the tale of their suffering and hunger, perhaps more than their gaunt and dirty faces. But their eyes had also shone bright with hope…in an almost desperate way.

Sesshoumaru had not been able to turn them away. Not because he was a particularly caring creature, or even really compassionate. It was the way his ward had looked at him, pride and love shining bright in her eyes.

"You are a good, wonderful person, Lord Sesshoumaru."

Rin had known that Sesshoumaru detested her kind. And yet…he had allowed nearly two hundred humans to step foot on his land, offering them a form of protection that went un-heard of in that time.

And so Hollow Haven had been built. Homes had risen from the ground, shops and markets filled a once quiet clearing. Trees had been felled and the land leveled to make way for what would become a bustling village. And though it had irked Sesshoumaru to no end that so many humans lived and dwelled no more than two miles from his home…the light of happiness and love that had shone so bright in his ward's eyes had made it worth it.

His Rin was long gone. Her death had been a quiet and peaceful one, surrounded by both family and friends. And Sesshoumaru? Though he rarely made a visit to Hollow Haven, he still patrolled the outskirts of the village. Rin's family, a bustling group ranging from all ages, still dwelled there. And he had promised, long ago, to protect them from harm.

That thought brought him back to the present. His promise had been broken. The village was under attack and he had not been there to defend his humans.

A savage growl ripped through hum, thundering through hi lands with an ominous clarity. 'The fools who have done this will pay.'

It was only a moment later that Sesshoumaru burst through the woods and into the village. His glowed a hot pulsing red, and a roar of fury escaped his throat at the sight of what had once been Hollow Haven.

The homes and fields had been burnt to ashes, black smoldering beams stuck up from the ground like charred and broken bones.

Bodies lay in the streets, faces twisted in horror and streaked with blood. Thick, billowing smoke raged up toward the sky, filling Sesshoumaru's sensitive nose with the smell of burnt flesh. There was an overwhelming scent of terror in the air, laying like a thick fog over the once peaceful village.

If there were survivors, they had long since fled. And those who had caused the damage? They were long gone as well…the cowards. Beneath the acrid coppery smell of blood, which ran like fine little rivers across the scorched and broken earth, was the undeniable scent of Cat.

Sesshoumaru snarled, making his way down the street, the fires still burning and feeding hot on either side of him.

The village had been destroyed, and with it? His ward's legacy. Something tore inside of him then. Something so sharp and painful that it sent a blood curdling roar tearing past his lips. It echoed through the land, a sound of soul wrenching pain and anger. Lord Sesshoumaru, the stoic and often deemed unemotional Lord of the Western Lands had lost something very important to him this day. In the destruction of this village and its people, he had well and truly lost all there was left of his Rin.

He didn't know how long he stood in the center of Hollow Haven, surrounded by death and fire, but a firm hand was eventually placed on his shoulder.

"Shit Sesshoumaru," Shippo's young voice came to him on a pained whisper. "I am so sorry."

Sesshoumaru said nothing. After all, what was there really to say? He had failed these people. He had failed them so horribly that he wasn't sure if he would ever recover from it. Most importantly, he had failed Rin.

"Were there any survivors?"

"They are all dead."

Silence, save for the soft crackle of dying flames, filled their ears. Shippo heaved a sigh, and shook his head.

"I'm going t go look around, to make sure…"he trailed off, unsure of what to say.

And then the whelp was gone, calling out through the wreckage, hoping to find someone, anyone, who was in need of aid.

Sesshoumaru turned away, his stomach sick with grief that he refused to show. The time, he knew, would come when he would track down the bastard demons who had done this, leave their entrails dangling like garnishes from the tree tops and set their heads upon spikes outside his castle walls. But not now. No, more than anything, Sesshoumaru needed to be alone.

So he set down the path of the village, heading in a direction that he knew by heart. Perhaps it was fate that pushed him along the path, or perhaps it was something else like a need to wallow in his misery. It didn't take him long, in either case, to reach his destination. Located towards the outskirts of the village was the destroyed home that had once belonged to his ward. The wooden structure had caved in on itself. The rooftop, made of long grasses, still smoldered and crackled from the fire that had eaten away most of the support beams. This home, perhaps, had been the least damaged by the attack. Yet the evidence of violence and destruction was still plain to see.

A young man, no more than thirty years old, lay face down in the dirt outside of the home. Rin's grandson. Hori, named after his grandfather. He had been all but beheaded, his clothing in ragged strips as his ravaged body lay face down in a pool of his own blood. Besides him, her small arm resting across his back, was his wife Anya. She too had been nearly beheaded in the attack. Her simple gown had been torn and muddied, the skin beneath ripped to shreds by callous claws. Pain squeezed anew in Sesshoumaru's heart as he fingered Tensaiga's hilt. These two were too damaged to be revived. The bastards had seen to that.

His eyes flew to the doorway of the home, which was now tilting precariously on its side. There, a young boy, Hori's first born son (or what was left of him), lay slumped against the frame. His wide, terrified eyes rested gruesomely in his lap. His bloodied hands still gripped a hunting knife. It appeared that he had been trying to protect his home, his family, even at the tender age of twelve.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru approached the beheaded child, his grief stretching across the hard planes of his face. Hesitantly he knelt down next to the child, his eyes drinking in the damage his enemies had done.

"I…I have failed you." He whispered the words thickly. "I am so sorry."

"You sure as hell are gonna be you rotten bastid'!" The young, angered shriek came from inside the dilapidated building. Before Sesshoumaru had time to react, a small fiery ball of rage flew out from within the house and collided against his chest. He felt the sharp, painful, jab of a dagger cutting through his shoulder and imbedding itself into his muscle. Small, tiny fists pummeled his chest and face, leaving tiny red welts in their wake. The scent of tears and grief not his own clouded his nostrils as he recoiled in shock.

Without meaning to, Sesshoumaru stood up, hoisting the wriggling mass of anger up by the shirt collar.

Dangling precariously from his grip was a soot streaked and enraged child.

"You murdering bastid! You poor excuse for a demon! I ain't fraid of you! I-I hate you. Imma tear out your heart and feed it to you on a stick! Imma-"

The child, Sesshoumaru couldn't help but notice, was the spitting image of Rin when he had first met her. This little babe couldn't be more than six years old.

"-and then Imma pull out your nails one by one, and then-"

As the child raged, her cherubic cheeks flushed with anger and her wide brown eyes grew wet with unshed tears, Sesshoumaru took his time studying her.

"And then I'm going to…"She sniffled, cursed, and burst promptly into heart wrenching tears.

"Y-you killed my mommy!" the girl sobbed, her small body trembling and shaking from the force of it. "You k-killed-" she broke off, her face crumpling with a type of pain that seemed unfathomable in one so young.

Gently Sesshoumaru brought her to his chest, cradling the sobbing child in his strong arms.

Rin's legacy…it had not yet been extinguished.

Sesshoumaru turned from the rather grisly scene of Rin's old home. He ignored the pained, pitiful sobs coming from Rin's great granddaughter and instead made his way through the village.

"Hey Sess! I found…whoa." Shippo skidded to a halt, his eyes flying to the crying child in Sesshoumaru's arms. A child who currently had her fearful, soot streaked face buried in Sesshoumaru's haori.

Sesshoumaru ignored the shocked kitsune, and continued to make his way out of the village and into the surrounding forest. Shippo, stunned, followed at his heels. Eventually the child's cries settled down into small whimpers, until they ceased to exist at all. Then, and only then, did she grow stiff in his arms.

Sesshoumaru knew the exact moment that she raised her head from his chest to study him. He didn't look down, didn't dare meet those inquisitive, accusatory, eyes. Instead he looked onward, marching steadily down the path that would lead them back to his castle.

There was a small hiccup, and then a whimper. Sesshoumaru could actually taste the child's fear, and it left a bitter coating on the back of his tongue.

"A-are you gonna' eat me?" Her half whispered, half sniveled question almost stopped him dead in his tracks. Shippo, no more than ten paces behind them, let out a choked laugh.

Sesshoumaru looked down slowly at the child in his arms.

"I do NOT eat humans."

That did little to abate the girl's fears. Instead, her terror only increased. And yet, despite the cloying scent…her eyes narrowed in anger and her breathing grew harsh.

"I'm not gonna let you kill me!" she shrieked, and then began to struggle in his arms. "Not unless I gets to kill you first!"

It was surprising how much effort it took to contain the struggling child without having her drop to the forest floor.

"I have no intentions of killing you, girl."

Her struggles ceased for a moment, and then began anew.

"Liar! Murderer!" She screeched. "I don't believe you! My Papa said that there aint a demon you could trust in the whole wide world! Well, except fer Lord Sesshoumaru…and everyone knows he ain't real!"

This again startled another strangled laugh from Shippo.

Sesshoumaru merely raised an eyebrow at the child.

"Is that so?"

"Yeah it is, you big bully. Papa was always talkin' bout that demon, but none of us ever saw him. Papa said that we was safe cuz Lord Sesshoumaru was lookin' out for us. But he lied. H-he…"

She hiccupped, coughed, and fought back tears. "He's dead. He's dead, and my mommys dead, and my broth-brother's dead- and it's all your fault!"

The child's words, though misdirected, were more true than she knew. It WAS his fault that her family was dead. He had failed to protect them, to the point that even this child thought he was a mystical creature, concocted by her father.

Sesshoumaru didn't know what to say. There were no words he could utter that would bring her family back to her. Nothing he could do that would make this better. So he kept walking, holding an increasingly agitated child in his arms. The scent of her fear clung thickly to his skin. The closer they got to the castle, the more terrified she became.

"For the love of- she's terrified! Would you just tell her who you are already?"

Bothersome kitsune, Sesshoumaru thought with a mental snort. If he had cared to tell the child of his identity then he would have.

After some time with no response from the demon lord, Shippo jogged up beside them. The girl turned her head to look at the kitsune, her eyes suspicious.

"Are you a demon?"

"Yup."

"Are you gonna eat me?"

Shippo chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't eat humans, and I don't care to either. Besides, if I ever tried to hurt a human my foster mother would kill me."

"Why? I thought all demons ated humans."

Shippo shook his head.

"Nope. Only the really bad ones do."

The look she shot him was purely skeptical.

"Why would your momma kill you?"

"Because she's a human. Well, sort of…she's a miko."

"Your momma is a miko? Now I know you're lying!"

"Nope, cross my heart." Shippo mad a small x across his chest and flashed the girl a wink.

"Have you ever heard of the great miko Kagome?"

"The miko who killed Naraku? In the legends?"

"Yep. The very same. She's my foster mother. I met her when I was very young."

"No way! You're lying!"

Shippo laughed.

"I'm not, I swear. When I was little I used to travel around the country with her and Inuyasha. You've heard of Inuyasha, right?"

The girl nodded her head against Sesshoumaru's chest. "He's the half demon who killed Naraku."

"The very same. He's my foster father."

"He's supposed to be very brave."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. Inuyasha brave? More like pigheaded and stubborn.

Shippo shrugged.

"I suppose you're right. It takes a lot of guts to go up against someone a lot stronger than you. Did you know that when Naraku was defeated, we were there?" Shippo indicted both himself and Sesshoumaru.

"No way! That was a long time ago!"

"Demons live for a very long time." Shippo explained patiently.

As they talked Sesshoumaru noticed that the scent of fear began to fade from the girl. Despite his idiocy, it seemed that Shippo was proving to be somewhat useful, though Sesshoumaru would never admit it to the whelp.

"How did you do it?"

Shippo smiled, almost bitterly.

"It wasn't easy. Naraku was very powerful. We all helped in our own ways to defeat him."

"Then you must know Lord Sesshoumaru!" the little girl whispered with a trace of awe, her breath baited as she waited for a response.

Shippo glanced at Sesshoumaru's impassive face, the stiff line of his jaw and the placidly smooth features that revealed nothing of his true feelings.

"Oh, I know him alright."

"Is…is he still alive?" There was just a touch of wonder and worry in her young voice.

"Yup. Alive and kicking."

The girl's brow furrowed as she slipped into deep thought.

"Then where was he today?" Before Shippo could respond she cut in again.

"Do you think it was him who scared those demons away? They were in my house. They…they were gonna find me. And then…there was a great big roar, and they all ran away!"

"I think you might be right about that. He must've been really angry."

"Yeah." She dropped her head. "I just…I just wish he'd been there earlier…before…before…" She sniffled, and then straightened her shoulders.

"I'm sure if he could have been there earlier, he would have." Shippo, in his own way, was trying to console both the child and the Tai youkai.

"Yeah, you're probably right." She heaved a sigh, her eyes large in her pale face.

"Where are we going?" The girl finally mustered up the courage to ask after a moment of silence had passed.

"To Lord Sesshoumaru's castle." Shippo replied easily. "It's right over that hill up ahead."

"Am I gonna get to meet him?" A small trace of excitement replaced the pain in her eyes if only for a moment. Then abruptly, she hung her head.

"I'm sorry. I know that was a silly question. Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't like humans much. And…and I'm not even a good one."

"What? Why would you think that? You seem pretty nice to me."

The girl shook her head.

"No. Mamma and my brother think I'm too…unruly. They say I don't listen and I cause too much trouble. He'd never want to meet me."

"I don't think that's true at all. I think that Lord Sesshoumaru is happy to know you're alright. He cared for your great grandmother very much. Your family is very important to him."

A lesser demon might have flushed, or shifted awkwardly. Sesshoumaru, however, simply wished the fox kit would shut his flapping jaw.

"I'm the only one left?" Her voice came out small and frightened.

Sesshoumaru instinctively wrapped his arms tighter around the child, as if she were precious cargo. And indeed, she was. If none of Rin's descendants had managed to make it out of the village alive…then this child was his last thread remaining to his human ward.

"I don't know. They might have escaped the attack, and could be hiding out in the forest. If they're out there, we'll find them."

The girl nodded solemnly, her eyes suddenly too old for her young face.

"What if they aren't? What if they don't come back? What's gonna happen to me?"

Shippo glanced at Sesshoumaru.

"I suppose you'll live with Lord Sesshoumaru, just like your great grandmother did a long time ago."

"But what if he doesn't like me? What if he wants to send me back?" She looked scared, and Shippo couldn't really blame her. Too much was happening to her too soon.

"He likes you just fine."

"How do you know?"

"Because," Shippo sighed, suddenly sick of Sesshoumaru's tense silence. "He's been carrying you for the last two miles, and refuses to let you down. Even with that god-awful dagger in his shoulder."

The child in his arms turned shocked eyes up toward Sesshoumaru's stoic face. There was the soft, nearly silent sound of their footsteps padding gently across the forest floor. In the distance birds made hesitant, short calls as if to assure themselves that the danger had finally passed. Sesshoumaru could hear the soft tempo of the girl's heart begin to quicken as shock set in.

She said nothing, at a complete loss for words, and still she stared boldly up at him. Sesshoumaru could actually feel her discomfort, exasperated by the discovery of his identity. And still he refused to turn his eyes toward her, to look into her face and see the accusation, the confusion there.

After he delivered the girl into Jaken's care, he would have to journey back to Hollow Haven and search his land for survivors. There were many demons who owed him fealty, as they both lived and hunted on his lands. Sesshoumaru would recruit them to help clean up the mess that was once Rin's home. If there were survivors then it would be up to the humans whether or not they chose to stay on his land and return to their broken village.

After he had seen to that, he would go after the attackers himself. It wouldn't take him long to track the cowards down. The Cat Youkai had been bothersome pests from day one. The males of the tribe were unusually aggressive, and in the habit of praying upon lesser defenseless creatures. The fact that they had even dared to set foot onto his land was proof enough that they thought little of his reputation. The past one hundred years had been relatively quiet for Sesshoumaru. Perhaps he had been too lax in his guard, expecting the respect and fear he had spent years cultivating prior.

A grim smirk touched the corners of his lips. He would have to establish himself as a demon to be rectified with once again, and he knew that those bastards had given him a golden opportunity to do so. After he was through with those cat youkai, no one would mistake Sesshoumaru for a weakling ever again.

"Sesshoumaru-sama?" the small voice startled him out of his thoughts. His eyes drifted down toward the girl child he cradled in his arms.

"I'm…I'm sorry I stabbed you with the knife. I-I didn't know…I can fix it!" She sounded so earnest, eager to make up for her imagined wrong doing.

"It is fine. You did well to attack a strange demon who had entered your home. This Sesshoumaru does not fault you for it."

Truth be told the wound did not even bother him in the slightest, though he became aware that the girl must find the sight garish even after all she had seen today.

"If…If you let me down I can walk, Sesshoumaru-sama."

"No."

The child flinched beneath his stern tone.

Shippo sighed.

"He doesn't want you to hurt yourself. You look pretty banged up. That's one thing you'll have to learn about him kiddo- he aint that great with words."

Sesshoumaru arched a brow.

"Ironic, considering Ain't is not a word, boy."

Shippo rolled his eyes as the little girl in Sesshoumaru's arms smothered a laugh.

"And he's real prickly about grammar too. I'm Shippo by the way, what's your name?"

"Ari."

"Ari, huh? That's a pretty name."

They crested the hill and Ari caught her first sight of Sesshoumaru's fortress. She drew a sharp breath, tired eyes full of wonder.

"I-It's so beautiful." She whispered, admiring the tall, staid, stone structure with the soft, leafy ivy climbing up the walls. The fortress was surrounded by forest on all sides but there were small fields to the north where long grasses waved gently with the wind and wild flowers dotted the green lawn.

Sesshoumaru had never really taken the time to perceive his home as beautiful. Instead he had admired the sturdiness of the stone, the tall, impenetrable walls, and the secret passage ways that led to escape routes in case he was under siege. Ari's great grandmother had thought his home beautiful as well, Sesshoumaru remembered. Perhaps it was a human thing.

He knew one being, however, who firmly detested the stone structure, the surrounding forest and the jagged boulders that spelled death to anyone who tried to flee from the fortress. And that person was currently locked in his chambers, manacled to the bed because he was foolish enough to try to leap from the open window.

Kouga. Another responsibility that Sesshoumaru was coming to regret.

Speaking of the troublesome wolf youkai, he had been terribly quiet in the past couple of hours. Usually the wolf's irritation, anger, and melancholy moods drummed steadily in the back of his mind until it gave the Tai youkai a remarkable headache.

At the moment, Sesshoumaru could sense nothing coming from his wolf.

As they neared the castle, a bedraggled and worry ridden Jaken stumbled out of the front gate.

"Milord! Milord!" he squealed, running on his stubby little legs, his arms raised high above his head.

"It's the toad thing! I know him!" Ari said, flabbergasted at the odd sight Jaken made.

Shippo snorted back a laugh.

It wasn't until Jaken got closer to their group that Sesshoumaru noticed the ugly purplish knots and bruises decorating his servant's face.

"Milord! He's escaped! I tried to stop him! I did, I swear! But he beat me unconscious. There was nothing I could do!" Jaken wailed, collapsing to the ground at Sesshoumaru's feet. "I have failed you Milord. Please forgive this humble- oomph!"

Sesshoumaru snarled, golden eyes flashing daggers at the toad.

"Where is Kouga, Jaken" The words were clipped and short.

"I-I don't know milord, he escaped." Jaken was wringing his tiny little hands together.

"Well, I suppose it was going to happen eventually Sess, there's no point in getting too upset about it. I mean, after all, he did pay his dues. It's been almost a month." Shippo tried, and failed, to calm the Tai youkai.

"Shippo, take the girl inside. Jaken, you will see to her wounds and care for her. Then I want you to send messengers out to the demons, Hollow Haven must be taken care of. I will go after the wolf, when I come back I will see to you."

Jaken swallowed thickly, murmuring platitudes under his breath. Gently, Shippo took Ari from Sesshoumaru's arms.

"You know, you could just let him go." Shippo said as he rearranged the child so that the top of her head tucked gently beneath his chin.

Sesshoumaru snarled, irritated at the whelps constant suggestions.

"Perhaps you have failed to notice, boy, but there are enemies hiding on my land. The wold is vulnerable right now. If he runs into them, not only will he not have the strength to fight them off but he is marked with my scent. They will kill him."

Shippo cursed softly as Jaken whimpered.

"Then I'll come with you! I'll help-"

"You," Sesshoumaru cut in, "will stay here and protect the fortress and the girl."

Shippo's mouth snapped shut and a look of foreboding crossed his handsome features.

When and if Sesshoumaru found the wolf prince, there was no doubt in his mind that the wolf would be in for it. Sesshoumaru was not a demon you wanted to cross on any day. The fact that Kouga had chosen the worst possible time to make his escape did not help matters.

"Go inside. Lock the gate and allow no one in until I return."

And just like that, Sesshoumaru was gone.

.

.

.A/N: Sooooooo...what did you guys think? I don't know why, but I'm really just not feeling this chapter. I will say that things get pretty hairy in the next chapter. Poor Kouga :( Anyway, pleeeease review. Constructive criticism is most welcome. Also...I didn't really proof read this one- so if there are some huge spelling errors let me know. I did the most basic spell check...but you know how that works when you dont go back and read it. Apparently "wold" is a word. I keep fat fingering the frickin' keys. XP REVIEW! SPANKS!


	6. Chapter 6

**_A/N: Warning! This chapter contains explicit non-consensual sexual themes/scenes and it is NOT a S/kouga pairing (for this chapter). If you are leery with this, please do not read! _**

**Chapter Six:**

Kouga cursed under his breath as he made his way through the forest. It seemed like every root and stone on the forest floor was conspiring against him, tripping up his feet and sending him careening into trees and brush. Adrenaline was pumping hot and steady through his veins, as well as a desperate need to put as much distance between himself and the Tai youkai as possible.

He cursed again as he stumbled, his left shoulder a repetitive throb of agony. It had started hurting a little over an hour ago, and he had watched in horrified fascination as his blood began to seep through the soft white haori that belonged to the Lord of the West.

Blood. Just what he needed. It was like sending out a beacon to Sesshoumaru with flashing lights and ringing bells. I'm right here, come and find me!

The Tai youkai would have no trouble tracking him now. And the fucked thing? He hadn't _done _anything to get that wound. It had just happened.

Kouga swore under his breath as the day began to fade into night. Here he was, running through the forest wounded, still weak from his days spent down in Sesshoumaru's dungeons, and stumbling over roots, logs and other obnoxious vegetation. And now? It was getting dark.

Terrific.

Well, at least he had escaped the prick-bastard's chambers. It sure as shit hadn't been easy, but then again desperation could often lend strength when it was needed most. The attack on the village, though unfortunate, had served as just the distraction Kouga needed in order to free himself. Somehow, whenever he had tried to break free of the manacles in the past, Sesshoumaru had always appeared to catch him in the act. It was as if the damn flea-bag was psychic or something. And, of course, every day he tried to free himself, that very night he would find himself face down and ass up. Fifty lashings for each attempt.

He could only imagine what would happen to him if Sesshoumaru caught up with him now. That thought sent another surge of adrenaline jolting through his system, making his heart beat harder and his legs pump faster.

There was once a time when he could have easily have made his way out of Sesshoumaru's territories by now. In the days when he had the shards in his legs no one could have caught him, let alone stopped him from roaming where he pleased. Those days were long gone now, but sometimes Kouga swore he could still feel the wind tearing through his hair, whipping around him as he ran. Even now he wasn't on top of his game, and he could still outrun half of the wolves in his pack.

He passed another worried glance at his shoulder. He may have a head start, and the advantage of surprise, but if he didn't find a way to stop the bleeding he'd be at Sesshoumaru's mercy in no time flat. Considering the bastard was merciless, that was not a position he wanted to be in.

Water. He had to find water. He knew there was a river that ran through the Tai youkai's territory. If he followed it down stream for long enough it would lead him out of this godforsaken place and into free territory. Determination settled heavy in his gut.

He had to reach that river.

And so he veered off his chosen path, heading due east, toward the river that would mask his scent and lead him to his freedom. He was so focused on the task at hand that he didn't see the danger until he stumbled right into it. Literally.

He had been running, eyes narrowed and breath heavy, and the next thing he knew he was hanging upside down, the sharp burn of rope strangling his right ankle as he swayed twenty feet up off the ground.

"What the fuc-" he had fallen into a hunter's snare. Which, of course, was exactly what he needed right now. Kouga knew he wasn't a lucky person by nature…but this was just pushing the borderline of ridiculous.

"Great! Super!" Kouga snarled as he flailed at the end of the rope. "Can this frickin day get any worse?"

A second later he wished he had just kept his mouth shut.

"I don't know, but I'll sure try to make it happen fer ya boy-o." There was a muffled snort and a loud guffaw. Kouga whipped his head around, trying to find the source of the voices. He didn't have long to wait.

Slowly, and yet confidently, six figures stepped out of the shadows. Kouga wrinkled his nose at their stench. Cats. Mountain Cat, to be specific, who reeked like human blood and fear. And all of them, Kouga couldn't help but notice, held the same predatory, evil, glint in their almond shaped eyes.

"Well, well, well," The biggest one of the group clucked. "Look what we caught ourselves boys." He made his way toward the tree from which Kouga hung.

"Let me down now, you little prick," Kouga growled "or I will tear your heart out and feed it to you."

There was a soft, almost feminine gasp, from the shadows of the forest.

"Did ya hear that lads? He wants us t' let 'im down." The brute of a demon chuckled, his green eyes hard and without humor.

"I dunno, ya see, I'm having a hard time figuring you out boy-o. I mean, you look like a wolf, howl like a wolf…but do ya know what ya smell like?"

Kouga clenched his teeth, anger flaring hot and sharp in his eyes.

"Ya smell like a dog. A certain dog, ter be particular."

The cat youkai began to close in on him, surrounding his vulnerable form in a semi-circle of both power and muscle. His eyes narrowed. These must be the ones who attacked Sesshoumaru's village. Judging by the size of them, and the ease with which they moved through the forest, they had been here for quite some time.

"It looks like that pansy Sesshoumaru had taken himself a mate, boys."

Kouga snarled, flashing fangs as his hackles began to rise.

"I ain't his fucking mate, stupid. But I'm more than capable of handling you your ass on a silver platter."

Which, on most days, would have been true. These cat youkai would have barely served as a challenge for a fit and healthy Kouga. But he was on the mend from a fever, not to mention nearly a month of torture and starvation. His body was considerably weaker than what it had been. And then there was that mysterious wound in his shoulder. The odds, in this case, were definitely not in his favor. That didn't mean he wasn't going to go down without a fight though.

The Mountain cats laughed, their eyes glued to his helpless form.

"Okay, so yer not his mate. But it looks like out old friend marked ya good, didn't he cub?" The big one sneered, his eyes tracing the outline of Kouga's form.

"Bet ya didn't know Sesshy boy and us was good friends." He moved closer until he was standing right beneath Kouga. "Real good friends. Matter a fact, we share everything, we do. Land. Humans…pretty little wolf youkai like yourself."

Kouga didn't like the turn this conversation was taking. And he definitely didn't like the feral glares in their eyes.

"What do ya say boys? The lad wants down. Should we do as he asks?"

The big one was answered by cat-ate-the-canary grins.

"Alright then. Sayo, get your scrawny ass out here and let the lad down. We're gonna have some fun with him."

Kouga watched as a young female stumbled out of the brush where she had been hiding. She appeared to be fifteen years old, which was young in demon years. Her face was exceptionally beautiful, despite the swollen bruises and claw marks that littered the alabaster canvas of her skin.

Her hair was a sleek, shiny, black and pulled back into a modest bun at the nape of her neck. Two small, triangular ears at the top of her head where pressed downward, as if trying to disappear into the restrained curls of her hair. A long sooty, black tail was tucked between her legs as she made her way meekly through the crowd of males.

The child, a half demon by the looks of it, had obviously been abused more than once by these men.

"U-Uncle Joren." Her voice was a sweetly soft whisper. "I-I think you should let him go. Lord Sesshoumaru will be very angry, and he didn't do anything to-"

Kouga flinched as the youkai named Joren struck the small female so hard she crumpled to the ground at his feet.

"Did I ask you for your opinion girl?"

"N-No sir." The girl, Sayo, mumbled, head bowed in submission as she placed a gentle hand to her quickly swelling cheek.

"That's right. Now, unless you want to take his place, you'll cut the wolf down. Do you understand me girl?"

"Y-Yes sir."

"Good, now hop to it." Joren crossed his arms over his broad chest as the girl, Sayo, lifted herself from the ground with downcast eyes. She shuffled stiffly over to the tree. Slowly, she climbed her way up the branches with an ease that even Kouga envied.

"I am so sorry mister." She whispered as she pulled a dagger from her robes. Kouga looked into her yellow flecked jade eyes and saw the sincerity and misery that dwelled within them.

He said nothing, merely inclined his head. He was obviously about to be beaten to a pulp, most likely killed by the ruthless bastards below him…and this child had tried to save him. He didn't blame her for what she was about to do.

Slowly she brought the blade against the rope.

"Hurry it up you little wench! We're getting eager down here, aint we boys?" The question was met with a gaggle of shouts and crude laughter.

"S-sorry." She whispered again, closing her eyes as she cut the rope, and sent Kouga plummeting to the forest floor.

He tried to turn in the air, but he landed both hard and badly on the ground at their feet. Sharp, shooting pain speared through his abused shoulder and Kouga had to check the urge to cry out. He needn't have bothered, because an instant later a leather clad foot stomped firmly on his wounded shoulder.

This time Kouga screamed. He couldn't help it. The pain literally sent white hot streaks shooting across his vision, making his back arch and bow as Joren ground his foot mercilessly into the abused flesh.

"Well look at that," the male cat sneered. "Isn't he precious? I like the way you scream for me wolf, I like it _real _good."

The thick, nauseating scent of male arousal wafted heavily through the air, made Kouga's skin crawl and prickle. Oh _fuck_ no. His cobalt blue eyes widened in shock and disgust, inciting a laugh from the cat demons surrounding him.

"That's right boy, you know what's coming to you, don't you?"

Kouga growled, the sound low and menacing. He would be damned if he allowed this filthy swine to lay one stinking finger on him. Snarling, he swiped at the foot that was pinning him to the ground, his claws at the ready.

Joren was too fast for him though. The bastard dodged the attack, giving Kouga just enough time to surge to his knees. He tried to lunge upward to his feet, to give that sick fuck a piece of his own medicine, but was stopped by heavy hands grabbing at his arms, twisting them backwards and up until Kouga snarled at the pain of it.

"Looks like this pup aint all bark and no bite boys. Be careful with the lad. We don't want him to be completely useless, now do we?"

"Go fuck yourself you ugly piece of shi-" his words were cut off by a round house kick to the face. If not for the two demons holding him upright, Kouga would have surely collapsed. As it was, he struggled to remain conscious beneath the throbbing of his face. Hot, fresh, blood pooled in his mouth. The bastard had knocked two of his teeth loose.

"Now ye went and hurt my feelings cub, bad idea to go an' do that. Look, I've bruised your pretty face."

Kouga spit a pool of blood at the bastard's feet, his cobalt eyes snapping furiously. "I'm gonna fuckin' tear you apart asshole." He snarled, his voice only slightly slurred. He struggled within his captors' grips, gnashing his teeth as they struggled to contain him. This time, he was backhanded, the action whipping his head joltingly to the side and causing his vision to black out for a second.

"Ye like t' run your mouth, don't you boy? I've got a better use for that pretty little tongue of yours."

****************GRAPHIC CONTENT BELOW THIS LINE PLEASE SKIP AHEAD IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE************

Joren grabbed at his crotch suggestively, doing little to hide the thick bulge that was growing there.

"You are one sick, twisted, mother fu-" Another hit to the face, this time sending stars dancing across his vision.

"Juro, grab the bag would you? I find I'm growing quite sick of the lad's sass."

Kouga tensed a moment later when a burly looking youkai pulled a small black sack from his belt loop. Without hesitation he reached inside and tossed what appeared to be a thick piece of leather to Joren. What was the bastard gonna do with that? Beat him with it? Nerves danced tightly in Kouga's stomach. There had to be a way out of this. It couldn't be happening, not after everything had been through already.

"Here, Jori, fasten that into place for me now." Joren handed the strap off to another cat demon, the shortest of the group.

Jori gave Kouga a sinister, self-satisfied, smile.

"Sure thing Boss."

Kouga growled as the demon approached him, earning a cuff to the head from one of the other cat youkai behind him.

"Open wide, wolf!" Before Kouga could so much as flinch the bastard had shoved the strap into his mouth, pulling hard and high until it felt like his jaw was about to snap clean off.

Kouga grunted in pain, the sound barely muffed by what he now knew to be a leather gag. The only thing that was different about this particular gag was that it had a large, noticeable, hole in the center of it.

A paralyzing sort of fear slammed through him then, tensing every muscle in his body with the shock of it. These bastards were actually going to rape him. To…to use his mouth…

"Aw, look at that." Joren laughed, strutting over toward the immobile Kouga. "The wolf's finally scared, aren't you cub?" he laid a heavy hand on Kouga's head, thick fingers weaving through the unbound locks before tightening painfully.

"You, wolf, smell like a virgin. Tell me, lad, has Sesshoumaru taken you yet? Rode that sweet little ass of yours? Ah, I can see by the look on your face he hasn't."

A cruel smile twisted across Joren's boorish face.

"You know what we're going to do to you now, don't you cub? We're gonna take you. Every. Single. One of us. We're gonna ride ye so hard ye'll be screamin' fer mercy. And when we're done? We're gonna leave you fer that pansy Sesshoumaru to find. Yeah, that' right. Tied and gagged, fucked by his enemies."

Kouga growled, thrashing violently in their hold. No! Fuck no! He wasn't going to let this happen. He couldn't…wouldn't…

Joren, using his hold on Kouga's hair, forced the wolf's head to stare point blank at his crotch.

"I'm gonna start with that sassy little mouth of yours. You're gonna love the taste of cat, boy, I know it."

Kouga cursed, screamed, threatened and raged, his words inhibited by the gag that forced his mouth painfully open. Nothing he said, nothing he did, stopped Joren from reaching into his robes and grabbing his…

A thick, bobbing, cock ducked into his vision. Kouga wanted to recoil from the putrid stench of it, but couldn't. The bastards holding him upright wouldn't budge an inch.

"No! Get the fuck away from me!" His words came out muffled and gargled, but the note of panic that laced them was plain enough for everyone to hear.

"I'm going to enjoy this wolf." With one hand holding Kouga's head immobile, and the other on his thick cock, Joren guided his member to Kouga's unwilling lips.

"Ah, you know what's gonna happen t' ya, uhn." Joren groaned as he thrust himself forward, his cock sliding through the hole in the gag and into Kouga's hot, wet, mouth. "When Sesshoumaru finds you covered in our seed, don't you? He's gonna, ungh…wolf, your mouth feels like heaven." He grunted as he worked himself deeper into Kouga's mouth. "He's gonna f-fuck you so hard, to try an' get rid of our scents. Nngh."

Kouga was choking, his mind reeling at the bitter, salty taste of Joren's manhood. His jaw was aching and his violated tongue was trying, in vain, to push back the thick intrusion that was working itself in and out of his mouth. Hot, angry, tears of disbelief and rage pricked at his eyes as Joren thrust fully into his mouth.

"Look it there, the lad's crying. I love it when they cry."

Kouga choked and gagged as Joren seated himself fully in his mouth. The hot press of crisp pubic hair bit at his nose and lips while Joren held his head still, forcing Kouga to take it all.

"Yeah, you like that, don't you wolf?" He grunted as the other youkai watched Kouga's humiliation with an avid sort of interest.

Kouga choked around the cock in his mouth, the muscles in his throat spasming beneath the onslaught. When Joren began to pull himself free, Kouga almost wept with relief. A relief that quickly vanished as the cat demon used both hands to bob Kouga's head up and down his shaft.

Gods! It wasn't fair! None of it! The damned gag kept him from closing his mouth, or at the very least biting down. His jaw and shoulder was one massive ache, he could actually feel the blood weeping sluggishly from his wounds. And now this! Kouga closed his eyes as his stomach jerked and heaved at the taste of another man's member in his mouth. Panic and fear ruled him now, as Joren thrust hard and fast, using his mouth to gain satisfaction.

How stupid he had been! He should have realized that the attackers would be hiding out in the forest that they would cross paths. Despite his bravado, Kouga was in no shape to fight these bastards off. He was helpless, weak as a puppy, and could do nothing but watch and suffer as they ruthlessly violated him.

Helpless, frustrated, tears streaked twin muddy trails down his battered and swollen face. The salty, vile, taste of cat filled his mouth and nose until his was gagging on it. No matter how hard he struggled to free himself, the demons holding him never wavered in their iron grips. He could smell the other demons' arousal, their lust. Knew that they were watching him be humiliated like this and eagerly awaiting their own turns.

"Nngh. Sayo, get over here. I've changed my mind."

A soft sob echoed in the trees behind them. Kouga opened his eyes just in time to catch the sight of the youngling stumbling through the dark, her head bowed and her lisp pressed tightly together.

Joren didn't pause in his continuous thrusting as he addressed the girl. The shame that flushed his cheeks burned through him to his very core. Somehow, the fact that she was her, her eyes studiously adverted, made this worse.

"On your knees, halfbreed. Right next to the wolf."

Sayo's eyes flew to her uncle's face.

"B-But you said I wouldn't-"

"I said I changed my mind. Now get on your knees, girl, or I'll let Juro actually take you this time. You're lucky that sassy mouth is the only thing we've used so far."

A muffled sob reached Kouga's ears, and a moment later he could feel the girl kneeling on the ground beside him.

"We've got two hot and ready mouths now boys, more t' go around." Joren spoke as he hammered his erection into Kouga's mouth. The demon named Juro sidled up besides Joren.

"Suck it halfbreed. Yeah, that's right. You're a good girl.".

Kouga could smell the child's tears, her helpless anger. Rage turned his vision a scarlet red. It was one thing to abuse him. But a child? The girl hadn't even gone through her first heat yet.

Kouga didn't have long to dwell upon it, because Joren's hands suddenly tightened in his hair. Kouga could feel the erection in his mouth throbbing, pulsing. A moment later, hot, bitter and salty liquid shot into his mouth. He made as if to spit it out, but Joren tilted his head back and pinched his nostrils shut.

"Oh no you don't, wolf." He sneered. "You'll swallow it all, every single drop."

Kouga didn't have a choice. Anger throbbed through him as the cat's seed trickled down his abused throat. When he finally swallowed it, Joren withdrew.

"Now there's a good lad. Your moth was sweet wolf, but I think my friends want a piece of that tight little ass of yours."

Kouga roared, a sound full of fury and outrage. He struggled, uncaring of the muscles in his shoulders and arms tearing, breaking. The pain was immense, but the thought of allowing these bastards to mount him was worse.

"H-He's strong, Damnit." One of the demons behind him grunted as they tried to keep hold of the thrashing Kouga.

"Jori, remove the wolf's pants. You're up first.

Jori chuckled as he made his way toward a thrashing Kouga.

No! Fuck No! This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real! After almost an hour in their presence, Kouga finally snapped. His mind reeled, screaming in horror. Over and over again he sent out mental shouts for help…

All of them calling the Lord of the West's name. Mentally he begged, pleaded, and screamed for help that he logically knew was just not going to come.

He felt cool night air kiss his backside as the borrowed pants were torn from his battered body.

"I know you're gonna like this wolf, you'll be screaming for me in no time at all."

Kouga braced himself at the words while the two youkai holding him bent him forward, forcing him to present his ass to the demon behind him like a bitch in heat.

**************************************END GRAPHIC CONTENT*****************************************

"How humorous you should say so," a deep voice growled from the shadows. "I was just thinking the same thing about you."

One moment there had been a hot, heavy, erection pressing against his backside and in the next there was a hot wash of blood splattering around him. High pitched screams. Kouga turned to see Sesshoumaru, white moon beam hair flying out behind him, as he cut the mountain cat demons down two at a time. Kouga scrambled to his feet, struggling with his good arm to bring up what was left of the torn pants to cover his trembling form. He stumbled over his own feet, his body shaking with a relief that was so profound that he honestly doubted he could walk.

On the ground behind him was the demon, Jori, his eyes gone wide with shock as he grasped between his legs to where his manhood had once been. Sesshoumaru had sliced it clean off. By the arc of the blood spray, the demon wasn't long for this world.

"F-Fuck." Kouga collapsed to his knees as blood curdling screams filled the night air to mingle with the coppery scent of blood.

The girl, Sayo, leapt to her feet, her eyes wide and frantic. Abject horror bled from every pore on her small body. She ran, tripping over her own feet, as she tried to make it to the cover of the forest.

She didn't get very far. Sesshoumaru lifted the girl up by her neck, her small feet kicking helplessly in the air as she fangled from his grip. Blood red eyes bored into her own, and Kouga watched as the girl dropped her gaze submissively.

"You are a half demon," Sesshoumaru snarled thickly, his fangs glistening in the moonlight.

"P-Please don't kill me…" Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she still would not raise her eyes to meet his.

"Sessh-" Kouga coughed, choking on the gag in his mouth. "D-Don't"

Sesshoumaru lowered the girl to the ground.

"These men were your relations?" Sesshoumaru growled, indicating the carnage that littered the forest floor.

The girl, Sayo, nodded her bowed head, shaking so badly it was a wonder she was still on her feet.

"You will come with me girl. As a servant in my fortress to repay your debt. Do not run, I will find you."

She nodded meekly.

It was then that Sesshoumaru turned those fiery golden eyes towards Kouga. All the breath left him at the rage that boiled there.

"Wolf." Kouga flinched at the hard tone. "Come here. Now."

Sesshoumaru was going to beat him within an inch of his life, Kouga knew. His cobalt eyes flickered downward. A sound, which came out suspiciously like a whimper, escaped Kouga's throat as he forced his abused body into motion. He tripped, stumbled, before he stood in front of Sesshoumaru's proud, strong form.

"Wolf, you will look at me when I address you." Sesshoumaru snarled and Kouga again flinched under the tone. Slowly he raised his eyes as shamed burned his cheeks.

Sesshoumaru reached down and in a deft move sliced through the leather gag that reeked of fear and cat's seed.

For the longest time Sesshoumaru said nothing but simply stared down at Kouga, who was beginning to sway on his feet. Before the wolf prince could protest, Sesshoumaru scooped the battered wolf up into his arms. Kouga didn't make a peep. He was too exhausted, both mentally and physically, to fight the Tai youkai for treating him like a helpless female.

"Girl, you will follow me. Do not make me regret sparing your life."

Kouga closed his eyes as Sesshoumaru set a steady but firm pace through the forest. His head was pounding while shame and humiliation soured in his stomach. He could still taste the cat demon in his mouth, still feel the chafe from the gag.

Sesshoumaru had been right all along. Kouga was weak and stupid. If he had been an Alpha, none of those bastards would have dared to lay a hand on him. He didn't know what was worse, that he had allowed the violation to happen, or that Sesshoumaru had been the one to save him…again.

Kouga could only imagine what was in store for him once they reached the castle. He squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that it burned. The words Joren said earlier came back to him then. Sesshoumaru was going to take him to rid the scent of cat from his body and mouth and replace it with his own.

His gut clenched tight at the thought wouldn't be able to stop Sesshoumaru, no more than he had been able to stop the cat youkai. If he lived through the beating that Sesshoumaru would doubtlessly give him, Kouga had nothing to look forward to except more pain and humiliation.

For the first time in a long time Kouga felt well and truly scared. He was more vulnerable now then he had ever been before. And he was too damn tired. Tired of being used, sucked up, beaten and deprived. He longed for the comfort of his pack, for caring and gentle hands.

Kouga had never been coddled before in his life, his father simply would not allow for such a thing to happen. Sure, his mother would sneak him the occasional kiss or hug, but if his father ever found out about it the old wolf would punish him severely for it. Even his pack didn't give him the type of care and comfort he craved. Sure, when he became ill or sick they clustered around him, worried for his wellbeing. And yet still they sought comfort and protection from him. It was not his role to play, being the Alpha.

He felt more tired, broken, and used then he ever had before. Sesshoumaru must be so pleased with himself, Kouga thought on a bitter sigh.

The wolf prince of the Northern Mountains had finally been broken.

A/N: Ehhh…. So how was it guys? I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I honestly debated posting it in its entirety on here because of the errr sex scene. It is on though. Should I take it down? Or edit it? The last thing I want to find is that my story was taken down '. I did, however, get some lovely reviews from the last chapter. Thank you so much everyone who reviewed! There's nothing I love more than seeing a message in my inbox saying someone reviewed my stories ^^

Thank you:

renji17

Neo the dual keyblade wielder - This story takes place 200 years after Naraku was defeated. I know I wasnt really clear, but I hinted that the inu brothers have long since patched things up (or as close to it as they can get). So Sesshoumaru does know Shippo very well as Inuyasha and Kagome occasionally visit. lol Sorry for the confusion!

Guest

Inuhime - haha a fluke, I assure you! For some reason I had extra time on my hands so I was able to pound out another chapter. Thank you though!

ScarletTigress - Thank you so much! I find that Sesshoumaru's character is probably the hardest for me to keep in character...which was why I was so skeevy about chapter 5. And Shippo? What can I say, he's always been one of my favorite characters ^^

Charley K. Storm - Dude! I did! ;) Thank you!

Lituana- Oh geez, I hope I got it out fast enough for you! Sorry for the delay! Dealing with a seven month old is as rewarding as it is tiring! I'm not sure where I'll get the stamina to keep going once he's completely mobile...but I am TOTALLY blaming the baby for the delay in updates. XP


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the beaten wolf in his arms. Kouga's face, usually a dusky tan from his time spent outdoors, was nothing more than a mass of mottled bruises. His nose, usually so straight and proud, had been broken at some point and blood seeped steadily from that particular wound. The corners of his mouth were red and jagged from where he had tried to bite through the gag. One of the wolf's shoulders had been badly dislocated, and blood stained his left shoulder. He had a cut lip that also left a small trail of blood tearing down his face.

As if that weren't bad enough, the wolf had also walked toward him with a noticeable limp in his step. Apparently he had somehow managed to injure his right leg. He had been in the Mountain Cat's possession for little more than an hour and had much to show for it.

Sesshoumaru firmed his jaw. He had run through the forest as if the very hounds of hell had been on his heels, and still he hadn't been able to reach the prince in time. If not for the mark on Kouga's shoulder, Sesshoumaru doubted his wolf would have survived his ordeal.

Over and over as Sesshoumaru had been making his way through the wood, he had felt the wolf's anguish and fear. It had started off as righteous anger, and quickly deteriorated into full on panic. It was when Sesshoumaru had heard the wolf screaming through their mental bond (which appeared to be completely one sided), that he had finally picked up the wolf's trail. He closed his eyes briefly at the memory.

_'No! Gods no! Not that! Stop!'_ he had heard the wolf sob, his voice a desperate, rattling scream that tore through Sesshoumaru's mind. What had gotten to Sesshoumaru the most, however, was moments later when the wolf's mental shouts had become a desperate plea.

_'Sesshoumaru! Lord Sesshoumaru! God, I'm so fucking sorry! I shouldn't have left! I'm sorry, please, please help…I'll be good, I swear, just please make this stop! I'll do anything! Oh god, no! Fuck! No stop! Someone help me please!'_

The wolf would never know that Sesshoumaru had heard his thoughts, his desperate mental cries for help. Anger had shredded through him then. When he had found those cats he had been so consumed with rage that he had killed them immediately. Shredded them to bits in a matter of seconds. Which was a damnable shame, as he wanted nothing more than for them to suffer. He had made their deaths too quick, too easy, for all they had done to harm what belonged to him and him alone. The villagers, Rin's family, that crime had been an unforgivable one.

But for what they had done to Kouga? Those bastards deserved years of endless torture at his hands.

The proud, brash, wolf prince had been turned into a wounded pup. He doubted the wolf would ever fully recover from it. Even now Kouga was trembling in his arms, though Sesshoumaru honestly doubted the wolf was aware of it. He could actually smell Kouga's pain, his fear, and feel it echoing in his mind.

Sesshoumaru felt helpless. It had been a long time since he had someone depending on him. Jaken, of course, didn't count. Rin however… that had been another story entirely. The child had relied upon him for comfort, shelter, food and clothing. In return she had given him nothing but unconditional love. The day he had taken the human child under his wing was the day he had become an Alpha in the very sense of the word. Many perceived Alphas to be only strong males or females; built to lead and fight. This was true, but there was so much more to it than that. A true Alpha led a pack. It didn't matter if it was a pack of thousands or a pack of only two. An Alpha's job was not only to protect his pack, lead them, but to see to their wellbeing and comfort. Too many times in his lifetime Sesshoumaru had seen unhappy packs, led by cruel and selfish Alphas. These packs never lasted for very long, because it was more than muscle and authority needed between an Alpha and a sub. There had to be… affection. An Alpha genuinely had to care for the happiness of his pack.

Ironically, his irksome and bullheaded half-brother had taught him that. It had been Rin, though, who had shown him how to love. And now he had her great granddaughter in his keeping, a new member to his rapidly growing pack.

Sesshoumaru frowned mentally at the through. Though it bothered him to admit it, and he would never do so out loud, the wolf had (by default of the mark) become a member of his pack. A member who was more trouble than he was worth. The damn wolf didn't know his place, something he had never had to worry about with Rin or Jaken. He was brash, loud, prone to insults instead of respect and he was thick headed to boot. He was proud, strong, and defiant. Too proud, too defiant to suit the personality of a true Beta. These characteristics had not come naturally to the wolf. How they had been ingrained so thoroughly into the wolf prince was a question Sesshoumaru would sincerely like answered. He had been trying to break Kouga, to heal a spirit torn by a forced role that he should have never been forced to bear the mantle of.

What had happened tonight… well, Sesshoumaru would never have wished for such a thing to befall the brash wolf. What had started off between them as a rivalry and a contest of wills, had quickly turned into something else. Perhaps it was their connection, as one sided as it seemed, or perhaps it was the amount of time he had put into the wolf. Whatever the reason, Sesshoumaru on some level, had actually come to care about the idiot's wellbeing.

He knew Kouga wasn't happy in the castle. Sesshoumaru had never expected him to be. But what he was doing there, teaching the wolf to accept his Beta, had been far more important than allowing the idiot his happiness. Ah, but now? Now his work was well and truly ruined. The wolf couldn't even meet his eyes.

Sesshoumaru had to smother a growl.

He could still smell the male cat on his wolf, a reminder of how he had once again failed to protect what was his.

The fact that he had a half breed female cat child stumbling after him did little to help the situation. He had been so close to snapping the girl's neck clean off of her shoulders. Too close, apparently, for Kouga's liking. The mental protest he had received from the wolf had been loud and clear. Once he had heard it, Sesshoumaru had actually taken the time to stop in his rampage and study the girl. It had quickly become apparent that Kouga had not been the only one abused in this clearing. Just what, exactly, had been done to the child was still unclear to him. And, as his ill-fated luck would have it, he had no choice but to bring the girl with him. Letting a young female cat demon loose in this world was the equivalent of signing a death warrant for the child. Humans both feared and hated her, and demons well…

Half breeds were…half breeds. Useless abominations. Or at least Sesshoumaru had used to think so. It appeared, however, that not all half breeds were completely useless. Inuyasha had certainly proved himself over the years . . . with a little help from Sesshoumaru, that is. What Inuyasha had never fully realized was that Sesshoumaru had been more than capable of killing the ignorant whelp any time he so chose to. Instead, he had attacked his younger half-brother, training the half breed to learn how to fight by necessity. Inuyasha still breathed and survived because Sesshoumaru had made it a point to teach the idiot how to defend himself. He might have no love for humans, but the blood of their father ran through Inuyasha's veins, and Sesshoumaru had refused to allow the idiot to fall prey to some lowly youkai. He had, in his own way, protected his younger brother until the whelp was old and strong enough to take care of himself, and start his own pack.

So now Sesshoumaru had once again, through misfortune and fate, established a pack. An irritating servant, a stubborn wolf, a human child…and a damn cat.

All of whom, the toad excluded, were mentally and physically scarred. It would take both time and effort to bring balance and peace to this rag tag bunch.

Somehow, Sesshoumaru thought on a mental sigh, he'd have been better off alone.

Nurturing and caring were not in his nature. A normally solitary creature, having all those lives depending on him was overwhelming and irksome.

He was, however, Alpha enough to handle it.

Kouga shivered as they reached the tall, foreboding, gates of Sesshoumaru's fortress. He could feel the dread wrenching inside of him, backed by a heavy dose of fear. He knew what was going to happen to him now, what was going to be forced upon him whether he liked it or not. At Sesshoumaru's call the gates creaked slowly open, just wide enough to allow their small group entry.

They passed through the gates and into the grassy courtyard. As soon as they were clear, the solid wooden gates slammed shut behind them.

"Milord!" Kouga winced at the sound of Jaken's high pitched, nasally voice.

"I have done as you requested milord! Word has been sent to the others, they are on their way now. By sunrise they will arrive to serve you!"

It was clear that Jaken was trying to work himself back into Sesshoumaru's good graces.

"Very well, Jaken. And the girl?"

Jaken wrung his small, green webbed fingers together.

"I have cleaned her wounds and given her victuals. She is resting in Rin's old chamber. I-I thought my lord would approve."

"Indeed."

Jaken's eyes flew to both Kouga and the frightened half demon that appeared to be quickly shrinking in on herself.

"It's the girl! From the Mountain cat tribe!"

Sayo flinched, her head bowed.

"She will be staying with us." Sesshoumaru's tone broke no argument.

"Yes my lord, of course. This girl, milord, saved many of the villagers at great consequence to herself. The villagers, milord, those that survived are hiding a half a mile to the north."

"How many survived, Jaken?" Why hadn't he thought to ask the toad that in the first place?

"Almost a hundred, milord. Mostly women and children."

"Very well." So the toad wasn't completely useless after all. And the girl? She had had some part to play in the rescue of his people? Sesshoumaru would have to get a full account from Jaken later on. The thought of the starchy old toad leading humans to safety was actually almost amusing. For years he had despised the human race entirely, almost more than half breeds. Jaken had, Sesshoumaru realized, been spending quite some time with the villagers over the years. Perhaps, like himself, Jaken saw it as his duty to protect the humans who resided in Hollow Haven. He had even, apparently, taken aid from a half breed and supposed enemy. The toad had changed much over the years.

But then again, so had he.

"Very well, Jake. Take the girl and see to it that she is locked in one of the guest chambers until I am able to speak with her."

"Y-Yes milord…and the wolf?" Jaken's buggy little eyes flickered over to the abused prince.

"I will see to the wolf myself. You have an hour, Jaken, and then I require your presence in my study…as well as the kitsune's."

"Yes milord. Come girl." Jaken beckoned the half demon toward him. They girl was trembling, clearly afraid, but she followed after the toad meekly and without protest.

Kouga shivered in Sesshoumaru's arms and hated himself for it. Fear was a tangible thing to him now, swimming through his veins and coiling about in his insides. Kouga had never really been brave; not like Inuyasha. If there had been a fight he thought himself unable to handle, he'd back down- look for an escape. Live to fight another day. But even that hadn't been cowardice, just common sense. What was the point of fighting a battle you couldn't win? Train harder, come back stronger, and strike your opponent down on a more equal playing field. He had survived much through those tactics alone.

But now?

Now Kouga knew there would be no coming back from this. No matter how hard he trained, how strong he grew, he would never be a match for Sesshoumaru in battle.

Sesshoumaru. The demon lord of the West. The demon who had already killed him once, revived him, starved and beat him, and then nursed him (albeit begrudgingly) back to health. He was the demon who constantly took Kouga to task, easily bending a full grown demon over his knee and punishing him like a troublesome child. Sesshoumaru, who had saved him from drowning, saved him from death by a fever…and now?

Kouga didn't want to think about what had happened in that clearing, despite the mental images that played in a constant loop inside his head. He could still feel every strike, every wound that the Cat demons had inflicted on him, serving as a continuous reminder of how he had been violated.

Kouga drew in a haggard breath, his body trembling still despite his mental protests for it to stop. He was weak, he was a fool….and he was a coward. Dirty, tarnished, he would never be able to look his pack in the eyes again, to lead them. No. It was better he die here his shame and his secrets buried with his body. And he had no doubt that he would die in Sesshoumaru's fortress, beneath the cold aristocratic hands of Lord Sesshoumaru himself.

He could still see the rage, like an inferno, in Sesshoumaru's eyes in that clearing. He could see the disgust and the anger that had twisted briefly across the normally stoic Lord of the West's handsomely aristocratic face. And he knew he would not be able to fight him. Even if he was fully healed, and twice as strong, his time in this fortress had changed him. He could no longer delude himself into thinking that if he were free from this place, his life would return to normal. That he could go back to his mountain homeland and be with his brothers, his pack, again. That was no longer an option.

Hell, he'd be lucky if he made it through tonight. Kouga flinched as he heard Sesshoumaru's words.

_"I will see to the wolf myself."_

And wouldn't he? Pain and humiliation awaited him now. He hadn't wanted Sesshoumaru to see him like this. Weak. Violated. A true, spineless, bitch. But Sesshoumaru _had_ seen. He had been the one to cut the gag from his mouth, to see the remnants of cat seed dribble from the cracks in his lips.

And if Sesshoumaru hadn't come when he did? A shiver trailed up his spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

Distantly he was aware of being carried into the fortress, down the long and winding corridors. The only sounds that filled his ears were the soft echo of Sesshoumaru's feet upon stone, and the erratic and thunderous beat of his own heart.

Hot, moist, air lapped at his chilled skin. Kouga cracked an eye to see that Sesshoumaru had taken him into the bathing chamber, and was making his way toward the lip of the spring.

Kouga half expected Sesshoumaru to just toss him in. Instead, there was the soft clunk of tensaiga falling to the floor, followed by the nearly inaudible sound of shoes being toed off. And then? Sesshoumaru walked straight into the spring, Kouga still held tightly in his arms.

Kouga hissed in pain as the warm water washed against his skin, awakening the small wounds that covered his body, bringing them back to life. Sesshoumaru's hold on him never wavered as he made his way across the warm waters to the outcropping of rocks at the spring's center. There, Sesshoumaru leaned him back against a boulder.

"Wolf." Kouga looked up to see Sesshoumaru's face, impassive as always, looming toward him.

With hands much gentler than Kouga was accustomed to, Sesshoumaru peeled back the haori from Kouga's chest, and draped it over the stone.

Kouga's stomach plummeted. He had kind of been hoping that Sesshoumaru would beat him first… take his mind of the fact that the dog demon was going to…

Probing but firm hands sought out his shoulder, and Kouga yelped at the touch.

"Count to three, Kouga."

"Why would I- ARGH!"Kouga bellowed as those hands righted his dislocated shoulder, the pain making him both dizzy and nauseous.

Kouga wheezed, coughed, and then let out a soft and stuttered "F-fuck."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, instead those merciless hands moved to the bridge of his nose. This time Sesshoumaru didn't bother to tell him to count to three.

"Shi-"Kouga howled at the pain, his stomach heaving. Apparently the Lord of the West had anticipated that particular reaction because a moment later a large, deep, bucket was placed under his chin. Kouga tried to hold down his bile, but the pain was just too much. His stomach rose, heaved, and his throat spasmed and burned as the contents of his stomach were retched into the bucket. The milky white sight of demon seed floating in there did little to help Kouga regain control. Instead, he heaved, his stomach painfully sour.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity. Slowly he became aware of Sesshoumaru's hands on his body, propping him up and holding back his hair. Kouga was trembling, his eyes burning. It took him a moment to realize that he had been crying silently.

He shut his eyes, his mouth and tongue bitter and burning. He said nothing.

Sesshoumaru had just watched his not only be sick, but cry as well. He was weak and spineless, he knew, but he couldn't bring himself to stop.

Slowly Sesshoumaru eased him back so that he leaned against the bolder. The bucket and its damning contents were whisked wordlessly away.

And still he trembled.

Kouga startled as a cold glass was pressed softly to his lips. His eyelids flickered open to see Sesshoumaru holding a glass of water there.

"Rinse your mouth out and drink." The Taiyoukai commanded.

Kouga had neither the strength nor the willpower to fight him. Still shaking, he did as Sesshoumaru said, letting the cool, fresh, water carry away the bitter taste of vomit and bile.

He startled again as Sesshoumaru's fingers probed gently at his mysteriously wounded shoulder.

"They stabbed you?"

Kouga shook his head weakly, noticing that Sesshoumaru's brow furrowed with displeasure.

"Where did you get this wound, Kouga?" The Taiyoukai's voice was hard, a distinct edge to his words.

"I-…" his tongue felt thick and heavy in his mouth. He had to swallow hard a few times before he could answer. "I don't know. It just kind of happened."

Sesshoumaru's face was a mask of displeasure, and yet he said nothing.

Kouga was shivering as Sesshoumaru rinsed the blood and sweat from his body, the Taiyoukai's hands oddly gentle on his abused flesh.

Tears pricked at his eyes again as his body relaxed under the dog demon's firm and deceptively soft touch. Only once had he tried, albeit weakly, to bat the demon lord's hands away. He had earned a dark and foreboding growl for his efforts. So he sat there, body limp and weak, as Sesshoumaru washed his body and hair. Cleaned his wounds. Despite all this, Kouga's stomach was tight with nerves.

When he was satisfied that Kouga was clean, Sesshoumaru hefted the shivering wolf prince into his arms. Kouga's head rested heavily against Sesshoumaru's broad shoulder. He didn't even have the energy to move away, nor did he particularly care to. His mind was blessedly foggy, his pain muddled and distant.

Had he been drugged? The water Sesshoumaru had given him. Perhaps poisoned? Kouga didn't care. He simply wanted to retreat into the warm haze that was surrounding him, hugging his body and pumping through his blood stream.

On some level Kouga was aware that he had been wrapped in warm, dry, furs. He felt the temperature changes as they left the bathing chamber behind and walked down the vast corridors of the castle.

His body felt languid, heavy, and better than it had in months.

He had definitely been drugged. But why?

He felt the warm familiar press of furs and cushions beneath his back as Sesshoumaru set him down on the bed. Hazy blue eyes flickered open slowly, sleepily, to see Sesshoumaru standing above him.

He felt the furs being parted from his body, felt the brush of cool air against his naked skin. Kouga didn't fight it, he didn't care to. Instead, his head lolled to the side as Sesshoumaru touched and prodded him. Would the dog demon take him now?

Golden eyes locked upon his own and Kouga was surprised to see a trace of worry in those amber depths.

"This should not have befallen you wolf. For that, I am sorrier than you will ever know."

Kouga could see the sincerity in Sesshoumaru's eyes, the guilt flashing there.

How had he never noticed before that Sesshoumaru's eyes were so beautiful? Longley lashed, they held a depth to them that promised one could swim forever in them and never reach the bottom.

A startled snort and a curl of amusement touched Sesshoumaru's lips.

Had he said that out loud?

"Perhaps I put too much pain killers in your water, wolf." There was a peculiar softness to his tone.

"Sleep well. We will talk later, when you are fully rested."

There was warmth again as his body was rewrapped in the furs. Something, however, was missing. A low, keening, noise echoed throughout the room. It sounded disturbingly like a wounded pup, crying out for its pack. The sound was pitiful and sad; almost heart wrenching in its loneliness. It took him a minute to realize that the noise was coming from him.

The bed shifted, moved. A strong, warm, body was pressed against his. Kouga's eyes fluttered shit at the scent of fur and beast.

Pack.

He was home. Safe. Protected. He turned his head, nose nuzzling the source of the scent, the warm skin. Then, and only then, did Kouga finally fall asleep.

Sesshoumaru looked down, surprised to find the wolf prince nestles so comfortably in his arms.

_'Pack.'_ Was the only coherent thought Sesshoumaru had received from the wolf before he had fallen asleep.

Kouga's warm breath fanned gently against his collarbone, the wolf's body curled against his own. Sesshoumaru had not been able to leave the wolf. Not that he didn't have over a dozen pressing matters to attend to, but when Kouga had cried out desperate for comfort, Sesshoumaru had not been able to walk away. He had wanted to, but something deep inside him had rebelled at the thought. Instead he had found himself beside a distraught and drugged wolf prince. A moment later, the wolf sought the comfort of his arms, something he would never have done if he were coherent.

A slow smirk pulled at the corner of his lips.

Then again, the wolf had said and done many things tonight that he would not have if not for the pain killers.

He had allowed Sesshoumaru to wash him, without putting up much of a fight. His wounds had been cleaned and bandaged, his hair combed and plaited. He had been mostly silent on their foray through the castle, resting peacefully in his arms. It wasn't until they reached the bed chamber that Kouga's thoughts became clearer.

_'Is this it? Is it going to happen now? Is he going to…mount me?' _ There had been a modicum of worry in that projected thought, but mostly defeat. Sesshoumaru realized that if he had tried to take the wolf, Kouga would not have fought him. For some reason, the wolf prince thought he deserved it.

Guilt had risen up inside him then. He had not been able to protect his pack. His wolf.

And then, surprisingly, the wolf had opened his eyes, clouded with a drug induced haze, and told him in a slurred voice that his eyes were both deep and beautiful. Beautiful? Sesshoumaru had not been called that since Rin was a child.

_'So beautiful…'_ The thought had echoed in his head after the wolf had spoken.

Sesshoumaru sighed. What a muddled mess he had created here. This, most certainly, was not what he had intended. He had wanted Kouga to suffer for the death of his ward. Had wanted Kouga's pain, guilt, and humiliation. But now? Now he wanted nothing of the sort. Looking down at the peacefully sleeping wolf in his arms, Sesshoumaru wished he could take it all back.

Kouga, the brash young wolf prince from the North, had become a part of his pack.

And if the stories were to be believed about the type of bond they shared…

His mate. That is, as soon as they completed the mark.

Golden eyes narrowed as the wolf nestled closer to him, a cold nose nuzzling his neck. It appeared they would just have to see about that last part.

A/N: So… what did you think? I feel like Sesshoumaru is secretly a mother hen demon in this fic XP I would like to take a minute to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter, it is most definitely appreciated!

Thank you:

Inuhime: Thank you! I totally took your advice by the way. Warnings about the pairing are up and where the smut starts and ends. XP Spanks!

Swallows a lot: lol I love your penname! And I respect your opinion. Thank you for sharing it :)

Shadow's Obsidian Rose

Neo the dual key blade wielder - No problem :) I feel bad for Kouga too! XP Thanks for reviewing!

FictionMission- Daw, that's okay. Yeah, that's what I thought. I figure it's like 200 years after the end of the series...we all change a little bit. Thanks for the review!


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